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Tottenham Hotspur fans have trolled the club’s official Twitter account after their development side lost to Gillingham.

The two sides went head to head in the Leasing.com Trophy, with the senior Gills squad running out 2-0 winners at Priestfield.

The result means that Spurs’ development squad have subsequently been knocked out of the tournament and fans have reacted badly to the news, perhaps unsurprisingly.

Indeed, Spurs have struggled throughout this campaign, with the senior squad winning just three of their Premier League games thus far.

They are currently 14th in the table, 11 points off the top four, and reports have suggested that manager Mauricio Pochettino could be sacked if they lose to West Ham United following the international break.

Football FanCast understands that RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the first-choice to replace the ex-Southampton manager, should he leave.

And one fan suggested that the result could have been inflicted on the first XI by the League One club, while many more simply took to replying sarcastically.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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

When Harry Winks was named in the England starting XI an hour before the Three Lions’ match against Kosovo kicked off, the more eagle-eyed spectator amongst us would’ve noticed something interesting.

So far this season, Winks has made nine appearances in a defensive-midfield spot for Tottenham, and three in a centre-midfield position – against Kosovo however, the 23-year-old was involved higher up the pitch as a No8.

The No8 spot isn’t one that Winks is too familiar with, and judging by the stats, it is evident that the Spurs academy graduate isn’t that much of an attack-minded player – he hasn’t been involved in a single goal so far for Tottenham this term, whereas he scored just once in 41 appearances last season.

Showcasing his versatility 

On this occasion, however, Winks did look like he knew where the back of the net was.

The diminutive midfielder opened the scoring against Kosovo with an extremely calm finish, in which his first touch took a number of defenders out of the game before he slotted away coolly.

In the second half, we saw Winks drop deeper into a No6 role where he controlled the game well.

The Spurs ace had 96 touches of the ball – the second-most of any player on the pitch – and completed 96.2% of his 79 passes, while also successfully finding a target with seven out of eight attempted long balls.

All-action display should encourage Mauricio Pochettino 

Interestingly for Pochettino, Winks’ performance should be one that excites him given the formation adopted by Spurs on more occasions than not.

The former Southampton boss tends to line up with three central midfielders, in which there is the potential for Winks to play either as a No.10, No.6 or a No.8 in midfield.

Winks’ showcased his ability to make an impact in a more advanced role on Sunday evening and that should be an encouraging sign for Spurs moving forward.

Aston Villa will be looking to end their run of three successive defeats when they host Newcastle United on Monday, and Dean Smith will have a number of decisions to make regarding the home side’s starting line-up for the clash against the Magpies.

Having lost to Manchester City, Liverpool and most recently Wolves, Villa find themselves in 17th place in the league table, whilst also having conceded 20 goals; only the current occupants of the relegation zone have let in more so far this season.

Ahead of a crucial Premier League fixture, here is how FFC believes Villa should line up against Tyneside outfit, following news that Bjorn Engels, Tom Heaton and Jack Grealish could all be available to start.

If Heaton is declared fit, the summer signing simply must resume his place in the starting XI; especially considering the injury to Jed Steer from the game against Wolves. He’s Villa’s No.1, after all.

In defence, given his impressive performance on debut in the Premier League, Ezri Konsa deserves to keep his place alongside Tyrone Mings, with a view to playing out from the back and breaking down what is likely to be a compact Newcastle side orchestrated by Bruce.

The last three games have seen Smith deploy both Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba in the holding defensive roles, but this feels like overkill against the Magpies and on the basis of his impressive start to life in the starting line-up, Nakamba should get the nod ahead of the Brazilian as Villa’s only deep-lying midfielder.

This enables a midfield three of John McGinn, Jack Grealish and Conor Hourihane to display the attacking qualities that saw the trio contribute significantly to Villa’s promotion-winning season from the Championship. They finished last season with a combined 22 goals and 30 assists.

That leaves a front two of Wesley as the focal point of the attack, supported by Trezeguet who should be given the freedom to drift around the final third depending on where the space is. That could leave Villa a little lopsided at times, but this starting XI and formation gets their best midfielders on the pitch.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been discussing the future of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris this week, and it doesn’t bode well for the Frenchman if their reactions are anything to go by.

An account on Twitter posed the question: “Does Hugo Lloris need replacing this summer?” which has left many in north London showing their true colours over the long-serving stopper.

The 33-year-old still has a little over two years to run on his current contract, so if anyone did come in, you’d imagine he’d be demoted to the bench or sold but for now, that remains to be seen.

Here’s what has been said so far…

[yes replace]

Based on the above, some would sooner see him out the exit door than have another season witnessing him between the sticks with one supporter claiming the veteran is “past it now.”

Lloris has been Spurs’ permanent first-choice for several years now, he has amassed a total of 316 appearances of which 108 games involved a clean sheet, per Transfermarkt.

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However this season, his tenure has been riddled with mistakes and injuries, restricting him to only 18 appearances in all competitions, but when he has played he has regularly dropped a clanger – quite literally like against Aston Villa – or continually seeing his wrists beat at the near post – ala Chelsea or RB Leipzig.

Several of his failings have been picked up by further members of the Spurs faithful below with one fan blasting him for being their “biggest liability.”

So, if Jose Mourinho made the bold call to drop the goalkeeper, who would fans want to replace him? Several names were put forward ranging from Sheffield United’s loan star Dean Henderson to Ajax stopper Andre Onana, who the club have actually been linked with this campaign.

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Roy Keane, Graeme Souness or Adrian Durham?

AND in other news, Spurs would be FOOLISH to renew Michel Vorm’s contract…

According to Mirror Football, Harry Maguire has asked the entire Manchester United squad to donate 30% of their wages to charity amid the ongoing global pandemic.

Many people across a variety of industries have been forced into pay cuts or put on the Job Retention Scheme as a consequence of the ongoing crisis, but United do not want to slash player wages.

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Instead, Ed Woodward and the United captain have been discussing charitable donations, and Maguire has now asked the entirely of the club’s playing staff to give 30% of their wages to charity.

The stance is said to have gone down very well with the majority of the squad, as United’s players look to help those who are in need of extra support at this very difficult time.

And the news has gone down even better with United supporters. After the information was relayed on Twitter by @Utdreport, fans quickly sung Maguire’s praises, particularly in terms of his ability to show leadership off the pitch.

Here’s a look at what United fans have been saying…

Meanwhile, Paul Pogba’s big transfer priority has been revealed.

Ever since he arrived from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, Heung-min Son has been nothing short of a revelation at Tottenham.

The South Korea international has been a consistently reliable performer for the Lilywhites, both for Mauricio Pochettino and current manager Jose Mourinho.

All in all, as per Transfermarkt, the forward has scored a very impressive 83 goals and 44 assists in just 220 games across all competitions for the club.

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And it appears players from rival clubs have also recognised his talents. Liverpool star and last year’s Ballon d’Or contender Virgil van Dijk waxed lyrical about Son when naming his dream five-a-side team.

He said (as quoted by Football.London): “He’s quick, he’s strong, he goes out there to make life hell on the pitch for a defender and his finishing – right foot, left foot – is just outstanding so I think I would pick him.”

After hearing the £90m-rated Van Dijk’s comments, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

A couple of Spurs supporters touted a potential switch from Merseyside to north London for Van Dijk.

A couple of fans jokingly referenced how this would be something to put in the trophy cabinet in north London.

The fact Van Dijk has spoke glowingly of Son’s abilities and that he is a nightmare to defend against is surely music to the ears of anyone connected to Spurs.

Harry Kane may be the north London side’s talisman, but Son isn’t too far behind.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to Victor Wanyama’s admission.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed Tottenham could once again target a move for Chelsea ace Olivier Giroud in the summer transfer window.

Reports back in January claimed that Spurs were very much keen on luring Giroud across London, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

However, with finances set to be restricted this summer what with the ongoing situation surrounding football, Gold has suggested that the north London could once again return for the Frenchman, despite reports of him potentially extending his contract at Stamford Bridge.

In a Q&A on Football.London, he said: “I would still expect Tottenham to sniff around Giroud in the next window, with any transfer fee unlikely to be large for a player of his age. I also think he fits the bill perfectly at Spurs of being a good foil for Harry Kane – he was superb in the match at Stamford Bridge between the two teams – and will not block the long-term progress of Troy Parrott.

“Artem Dzyuba is another player Spurs looked at in January and the big, prolific Russian striker is currently available for free in the summer. You can see the type of striker Tottenham are looking at bringing in and the price tag or lack of.”

With Spurs seemingly intent on keeping Harry Kane at the club, the north London side don’t necessarily need a new number one striker. A back-up option to help fill in when necessary and take the pressure off the England international’s shoulders will be most welcome, and Giroud certainly fits that bill.

At 33, he can come in for a season or two to share the goal-scoring burden with Kane, and that time will allow Parrott to develop, just as Gold suggests.

It’s a move that makes a lot of sense on many levels, and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Giroud in a Spurs shirt come the start of the next season.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

Tottenham Hotspur shared a photo of Son Heung-min as the first team returned to the Hotspur Way training ground ahead of a possible Premier League restart. 

Earlier this month, Son reunited with his teammates after completing mandatory military service in South Korea with flying colours (Daily Mail). Players have been training together in small groups as the English top flight kicked off with phase one of Project Restart (Evening Standard).

The club’s official Instagram account uploaded an image of the forward enjoying himself during a team exercise. Eagle-eyed fans will no doubt spot that his hair has grown back quickly, while many commented they are delighted to see him smiling.  

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The 27-year-old is the second-highest goalscorer for Spurs this season, one goal behind star striker Harry Kane, although he has produced more assists than the England international so far (BBC).

He has scored nine goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League, taking three shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes and making 2.3 dribbles per match (via WhoScored).

Jose Mourinho’s side are currently eighth in the Premier League, two points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers, four points away from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United and one point clear of bitter rivals Arsenal.

If the South Korean can rediscover his goalscoring form, his return could make a massive difference for Spurs as the north London club seek to charge up the table when football finally resumes. 

Tottenham fans, do you think Son Heung-min’s return will boost the Lilywhites? Let us know by commenting down below! 

In a Q&A for Football.London, Alasdair Gold has confirmed Tottenham’s interest in Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma.

What did he say?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Spurs are eyeing a move for the Frenchman this summer, and any potential switch would see Zouma be reunited with his former boss at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho.

And according to Gold, that previous link means the current Spurs manager will “know him inside out”, but admitted that any fee to sign him could prove to be out of the north London side’s reach.

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

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When asked whether there is “any legitimacy in the links”, he said: “There will be interest there. Mourinho signed him for Chelsea and will know him inside out and at 25 there’s plenty to work with when it comes to Zouma. However, for me, with three years left on his deal and Chelsea not likely to be desperate to deal with Spurs, any fee would be massive and something Tottenham would struggle with this year.”

Reunion

Out of all the managers he has played under at Chelsea, Zouma featured the most under Mourinho, playing 49 games for the Portuguese man and even scoring four goals too.

The £25.2m-rated ace had been a regular under Frank Lampard for the first-half of the season, but the last couple of months before football was postponed, saw him fall out of the starting eleven.

He played just twice in Chelsea’s last eight Premier League games, and at 25, is at the stage of his career when playing first-team football week-in and week-out should surely be at the top of the agenda.

And having played under Mourinho before, a move to Spurs may be all the more appealing. But as Gold suggests, Chelsea are unlikely to let him go on the cheap, so the north London side may have to turn their attentions elsewhere.

Glasgow Rangers, just like the rest of Scottish football, will be keeping an eye on the court case involving Hearts, Partick Thistle and the SPFL this week.

Proceedings are set to start on Wednesday as the two clubs attempt to either remain in their respective divisions or receive compensation. This comes after they were relegated from the Premiership and the Championship respectively following the premature end to the season. Both were still well within a chance of staying up.

The SPFL, obviously, do not want to lose this battle. They have sent out a letter, signed by SPFL chief Neil Doncaster, which, according to both Hearts and Partick, is misleading and is also wrong. They have questioned the timing of it, as well.

The Gers have had run-ins with the governing body recently, and the supporters have taken to Twitter to share their anger – one fan even called Doncaster a “fraud”. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!