Arsenal starlet Reiss Nelson slammed by fans for one key moment for England U21s

One of the many talented youngsters coming through at Arsenal, Reiss Nelson took the unconventional path last season by heading on loan to the Bundesliga and following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho in moving abroad.

The Gunners academy product spent the year at Hoffenheim under the tutelage of Julian Nagelsmann, and enjoyed a largely successful time in Germany, scoring eight goals in 31 games and being nominated for the Rookie of the Year award too.

However, after returning to the Emirates for this campaign, first-team opportunities have been much harder to come by, with Nelson making just six senior appearances in total.

On Friday night, he was in action for England U21s, and though he ended up getting on the score-sheet, fans watching the game were quick to point out one particular moment in the build-up to his goal.

Leading a counter-attack, Nelson had Manchester United starlet Mason Greenwood in acres of space to the left of him, but seemingly failed to spot the run and instead played it to his right.

Despite going on to score from the move, fans took to Twitter to hammer the Gunners prospect for his lack of vision, with some fans insisting that he is simply over-rated.

Check out some of the reaction of fans below:

Spurs fans should keep an eye on Kieran Trippier during England fixtures

England take on Montenegro and Kosovo over the next few days and there is one man that Tottenham Hotspur fans should be taking a close look at: Kieran Trippier.

The defender, of course, departed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer, moving to Atletico Madrid in a deal that cost the Spanish club £20m.

This came after a season that was categorised by silly errors, including a baffling own goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

But Mauricio Pochettino’s side did not follow up.

They refused to buy a replacement, instead placing their trust in Juan Foyth, who got injured, and Serge Aurier, who has already been sent off once this season and also conceded a penalty against Liverpool, leading to the Reds’ winner. Kyle Walker-Peters is nowhere to be seen.

This may well be the first time since the last international break that Spurs fans will have a chance to see how Trippier’s game has evolved since his departure, allowing them to determine whether it was a mistake to let him go.

Thus far this season, Trippier has looked right at home in La Liga, where Atleti are currently third, just one point off top. Spurs, meanwhile, are 14th, 11 points off the top four.

He has made 10 appearances, made 2.4 tackles per game on average, per WhoScored, as well as 1.3 interceptions and 1.7 clearances. He also averages 1.4 key passes per game, as well as 1.4 crosses.

This is a player that did make errors last season but it will be informative for Spurs fans to see him playing for his country, especially now that he’s back in good form.

Gareth Southgate selected him for the squad, clearly on the strength of his displays in Spain, and actually left out Manchester City’s Kyle Walker to accommodate him.

That is a major show of faith, the kind Spurs failed to show Trippier after a disastrous season.

If Trippier turns in a performance of the highest quality, one has to believe that supporters will be cursing the manager and the club for dismissing him so quickly.

Everton fans react to Moise Kean’s brace for Italy U21s

Everton fans are begging that rarely-seen man Moise Kean starts on Saturday against Norwich City.

This comes after the forward netted twice for Italy U21s and registered an incredible 9.0 rating on Tuesday against Armenia U21s.

It is the first time the 19-year-old has hit any sort of form since he moved to Merseyside for £25.1m, as he has yet to score for his new club.

In fact, Kean has averaged just one shot per game and averaged 2.1 unsuccessful touches per game, per Whoscored.

Now, however, after his impressive night with his country, it seems the fans are desperate for him to start.

One supporter said “show Marco this and tell him to start him on Saturday”, whilst other fans have begged him to start as a centre-forward.

As a centre-forward, the Italian bagged seven goals in 14 games, as shown by games recorded by Transfermarkt. Marco Silva, has occasionally deployed him as a winger and not in his preferred position, which naturally has impacted on his form.

It does seem as if Everton fans are all saying the same thing after his Tuesday night performance.

Here’s what some of them have had to say…

Aston Villa fans react to Wesley’s performance against Newcastle

Aston Villa may have beaten Newcastle United 2-0, but Wesley took his run of games without a goal or assist to five in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has not been directly involved in a goal since netting a brace and adding an assist during Villa’s 5-1 win against Norwich City.

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He had a golden chance to change that against the Magpies, but Martin Dubravka stopped the Brazilian’s effort from point-blank range.

There are many Villa fans who are not concerned by this goal drought, citing how useful he can be in bringing teammates into the game as a reason for their stance.

The Brazilian was complimented for his performance against Newcastle by those fans after he won seven aerial duels and made one tackle, while also playing two key passes.

Aside from the statistics, his general hold-up play and work-rate were applauded, while one said that he can look towards former loanee Tammy Abraham for inspiration.

Not all fans were so forgiving though, as there are those who are beginning to lose hope in Wesley due to his lack of a clinical touch in front of goal.

Part of the issue for Wesley could be the number of shots that he is taking, as that effort against Newcastle was his only one of the game, while he averages 1.8 shots per Premier League match this campaign.

Whatever the reason is for his lack of goals, it is deemed unacceptable by many fans, with one calling him a “£22m carthorse”.

In other news, a former Villa man has named the striker he thinks the club should sign in January.

Spurs fans react to links with Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana

Having only taken over from Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham manager mid-season, Jose Mourinho will no doubt have his eyes set on this upcoming summer transfer window as a potentially defining one for the club.

The Portuguese boss will be keen to shape the squad in his own image, and it appears that he has his eyes set on bringing in a new number one goalkeeper.

According to Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), the Lilywhites are said to be “very interested” in Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, but that they are likely to face competition from La Liga giants Barcelona, who are also keeping tabs on him.

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After hearing about their interest in the Cameroon international, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their potential summer target.

A couple of fans compared Onana to former Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, and insisted that the Cameroonian is similarly “sketchy” and unreliable.

Having played Champions League football with Ajax, Onana has certainly got the top-level experience under his belt to settle into life in north London.

Hugo Lloris has struggled to the point that Spurs should seriously consider selling him this summer, and Onana would be a more than worthy replacement for him considering he is only 24 and still has plenty of time to grow.

But judging from the reaction of Spurs fans themselves, the jury is still out on whether he would be a good signing for the club.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans are reminiscing over this former powerhouse.

Alex Bruce reacts to Everton in interest in James Rodriguez

Alex Bruce has said it would be a “coup” if Everton were able to sign James Rodriguez this summer, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Toffees have offered the Colombian a four-year deal at Goodison Park, which would see him reunited with his former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Rodriguez spent the past two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich, while he has seen his game time limited at Real Madrid this year due to injury.

Asked whether the 28-year-old would represent a good signing for Everton, Bruce said it would be a “hell of a coup”.

“It would be a hell of a statement to go and get someone like him, I think he’s a very good player and he’s got bags of ability,” he told Football Insider.

“For Everton to get in someone like him would be a hell of a coup. I think when you go and sign someone like that it makes people stand up and take notice of you.

“It can also attract other players of that sort of calibre once you get someone of that ilk through the door. For them to get him, it’ll mean they mean business.”

Optimistic move

A move for Rodriguez this summer would undoubtedly be a big surprise, but it remains to be seen whether it will be possible for Everton to make it work.

Clubs will likely be less willing to spend big than they have in the past, while the Colombian has struggled with form and injury in recent years.

A move for the Real Madrid man would be a statement, but given the economic circumstances, it would be a shock to see it happen.

Sunderland: Black Cats fans show further ‘anger’ towards club’s ownership

Many Sunderland fans have reacted to a review on the latest developments at the club and the ownership of Stewart Donald.

The latest news coming out of the Stadium of Light has caused fans to further react to Donald’s decisions with claims he is now preparing to sell the club without repaying a debt of £20m.

Having suffered relegation down from the Premier League to League One over the last three seasons, something that was well documented via Netflix series Sunderland ‘Til I Die, the Black Cats are now on the verge of another unsuccessful season, sitting just outside the play-off places in England’s third tier.

The latest report over Donald’s plans for the club are likely to cause more fan upset, something that popular podcast Wise Men Say have discussed on their latest issue.

Donald took over from former owner Ellis Short, who also caused much controversy during his time in charge, and the report of a £20m debt claims that he used broadcast income to finance his takeover. With that money yet to be repaid, Donald remains keen to sell the club, leaving many fans angry and upset with the club’s current situation.

Reacting to a tweet from Sunderland podcast Wise Men Say via Twitter, these fans gave their reaction…

What do you make of Donald’s time in charge of the club? Let us know in the comments section below…

Mark Douglas provides update into Newcastle takeover

Newcastle United reporters Mark Douglas and Lee Ryder, both of the ChronicleLive, provided supporters with a Q&A session on Wednesday afternoon where they answered a wrath of queries about the prospective takeover.

One fan wondered just how much longer they would have to wait for the deal to get the green light to which the former offered up a fresh update.

Douglas remains confident and believes it won’t be much longer before it all goes through. He said:

It’s been well over a month since reports first emerged over the potential sale of the northeast outfit and there’s still been no word of official confirmation since.

The decision has been in the Premier League’s hands for a couple of weeks now as they have been conducting the owners and directors test on the Saudi Arabian consortium but the top-flight have also been trying to get their plans to restart the current campaign back underway, so understandably they’ve had a lot on their plate.

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While Douglas won’t put an exact timeframe on the matter, his claim that it will be soon is hugely positive news for those at St James’ Park.

AND in other news, UAE journalist makes big claim about Newcastle takeover…

Transfers that shook the club: Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nuno Espirito Santo

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that had many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo back in May 2017 was a bold move given that he had pedigree with European names like Valencia CF and FC Porto, and then decided to take on the job of managing the Midlands club in the EFL Championship.

In the 2016/17 season prior to his switch, the 46-year old guided Porto to second in the Primeira Liga, just six points off of Benfica. Nuno also took Porto through the UEFA Champions League group stages before eventually losing out 3-0 on aggregate to Italian giants Juventus, according to Transfermarkt.

To make the drop from Champions League to Championship football could have easily affected him, but the Portuguese manager did not seem fazed as he made sure that Wolves gained promotion in his debut campaign, finishing as champions on a rather impressive 99 points, nine clear of their nearest challengers, as per Sports Mole.

Upon his arrival, director Jeff Shi lauded him, claiming that he ‘was impressed by his football tactics’ (via BBC). Indeed, Nuno did not disappoint him in his first term, and went on to achieve arguably bigger things in the Premier League. WWFC finished in a highly commendable 7th place on 57 points having just come up, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League the following season due to their league position.

Still in European competition and going one better by staying in 6th position so far in the top flight table this campaign, the Molineux outfit could perhaps qualify for the Champions League, which would put the icing on Nuno’s cake.

It was a bold move to appoint him, but he has definitely shook Wolves for the better.

Wanderers, can you can qualify for the Champions League under Nuno? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur: Kevin Phillips is confident Harry Kane can continue his fine form

Kevin Phillips has backed Tottenham star Harry Kane to pick up where he left off after he scored in the 2-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday night. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Sunderland forward believes scoring his 18th goal of the season will be a “massive relief” for Kane following a long lay-off.

Kane put the game beyond the Hammers after he broke clear to thump the ball past Lukasz Fabianksi. The England international was playing in his second game back in the wake of his return against Manchester United.

Phillips feels the goal will be a huge psychological boost for Kane as he had spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

He told football writer Dylan Childs “it is massive. Take it from a striker. If you are Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, whoever you are, to get that first goal after being out for so long is huge.

“You could see in the way he celebrated. The monkey is off his back and he can now get on and do what he does best in the Premier League.

“Harry has not helped himself because he is so eager to get involved all over the pitch and at times he is well out of position.

“Now that he has scored I think you will see him doing what he does best. That is getting on the end of through balls, playing on the last man and getting in behind. Massive relief for him and the club.”

It is difficult to disagree with Phillips on this one, as Kane was adamant he would come back better than ever before when the Premier League restarted.

The 26-year-old, who is Spurs’ leading goalscorer this season, will have been hoping to get off the mark early on to shake off any lingering signs of rustiness.

True to his word, it hasn’t taken him long to find the back of the net again, especially as he hadn’t played a competitive match since suffering a hamstring injury against Southampton on New Year’s Day.

At the moment, Jose Mourinho’s side are seventh in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with seven games remaining.

Spurs struggled badly in Kane’s absence, as the Lilywhites only won three games in the Premier League while he worked on his recovery.

Fans will be hoping there is more to come in the remainder of the season as the team head into the closing stages of the competition.

Tottenham fans, can Harry Kane carry the club into the Champions League? Let us know down below!

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