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Tottenham Hotspur’s season has hit crisis point in March and talkSPORT’s Danny Kelly has hit the nail on the head with his remarks this weekend.

What’s he said?

Jose Mourinho’s side were beaten in a five-goal thriller by Wolves on Sunday, making it three successive defeats – but the wider picture is that they are now five points from the top four and have it all to do in Germany as RB Leipzig carry an away goal in their Champions League tie.

Speaking on Simon Jordan’s Final Word after the match, Kelly slammed several key figures ranging from chairman Daniel Levy, former boss Mauricio Pochettino and their current Portuguese chief.

He said:

“The barometer – and there’s no other word for it now – the mess that Spurs have got themselves into and I include Daniel Levy in that, Pochettino to some extent for his ridiculous comments before the Champions League final that he might quit if they won it and subsequently the panic to get Jose Mourinho in there.

“Spurs were in the Champions League final nine months ago. Think about Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid – the kind of teams that make the Champions League final. Today [Sunday 1st March], they started with two players who started in Madrid – Harry Winks and Dele Alli.

“So the team has through injury, departures, and strange selections been absolutely blown up. Whether by circumstance or by choice of management – you have a situation where Wolves’ front two, [Diogo] Jota and [Raul] Jimenez are as good as anybody away from Liverpool’s as of right now and he [Jose Mourinho] chooses to leave out his most experienced defenders, sling Eric Dier whose form since his illness just makes him look like he isn’t a professional footballer anymore, against [Japhet] Tanganga who’s trying to make his way. I don’t know what he’s thinking of here.

“I tell you what he’s thinking of actually – I’m gonna say it and he can sue me if he wants – he’s thinking I’ll keep all these fresh for Norwich during the week because I need to win a trophy here and the FA Cup is my best route to it.”

Amounting issues

Spurs’ troubles just don’t seem to be ending anytime soon, which is surprising considering they had been unbeaten in seven matches until their European first-leg last month.

Kelly is right to blame Levy – his lack of investment has contributed to their downfall substantially, and potentially most of all. Yes, he sanctioned moves for Gedson Fernandes and Steven Bergwijn, but it wasn’t enough – they needed that backup striker.

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Heung-min Son joining Harry Kane on the treatment table has shown just how poor a decision that has been.

Pochettino’s comments before the UCL final were simply baffling too as if that was going to motivate players in any form – “here guys, win this and I’m leaving” is not a good look at all.

Meanwhile, Mourinho has hardly helped himself with his chopping and changing of team selection and tactics, and he could probably be braver in selecting teenager Troy Parrott as at least he’s an out-and-out striker and not a midfielder or winger playing as a makeshift centre-forward.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

And in other news, Spurs witness what they have been desperate to see for first time in 85 days…

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Southampton fell to defeat against Cardiff City on Saturday in dramatic circumstances. Despite having equalised themselves in stoppage time, the Saints contrived to allow Cardiff to claim a late winner.

The result lifted the Bluebirds out of the relegation zone and sent the south coast club closer to it.

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl will be furious that his side weren’t able to cling onto the draw at St Mary’s Stadium. Too many of his players made errors and his side generally lacked cohesion. One man who particularly struggled to make an impact was Shane Long.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The 32-year-old worked hard but nothing he tried came off. If Southampton are to stay out of trouble this season they need the 82-cap Republic of Ireland forward to be able to deliver when called upon, but he failed to do that against Cardiff.

After the match, plenty of Saints fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with Long’s display…

DW Kick off reporter Dave Branneck lives and works in Berlin but has been a fan of the New York Metrostars for most of his life.

Regrettably for Branneck though, in 2006 the Metrostars were bought by Austrian energy drink conglomerate Red Bull and have since been known as the New York Red Bulls, just a year after Austria Salzburg had also undergone a similar transformation.

In his most recent video, Branneck explores what it’s like when your club is owned by one of the world’s most marketable corporations. To do this, he travels to the energy drink company’s most successful club, Leipzig.

After buying the playing rights of fifth-tier side SSV Markranstädt in 2009, Red Bull ploughed in the money and within eight years the club were promoted to the Bundesliga.

The success in Germany though meant that funds were diverted from the other clubs and focused on Leipzig, meaning New York suffered.

“That sweet, sweet soda money brought in star players like Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel, Tim Cahill and Rafa Marquez. Red Bull were one of the league’s biggest spenders, and fans certainly took notice,” Branneck says of the first few years of corporation ownership.

However, Branneck later goes on to comment: “With Leipzig’s rise, New York went from a star-studded side to a farm team for the German branch.”

His personal opinion after the journey? A football club owned by and named after a corporation isn’t normal. And it shouldn’t be.

“I’ll hold onto my old jerseys and keep calling them Metro, but as much as I hate modern football and what it’s done to my club, I just can’t give it up,” he says.

Like the video? If you want to see more football stories great and small, as well as interviews with Bundesliga and international football stars, subscribe to the DW Kick off! YouTube channel.

According to The Bristol Post, former West Ham defender, and free agent, James Collins was at Loftus Road on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that the Welshman may be teaming up with Steve McClaren. 

QPR have had a disastrous start to their Championship campaign, already shipping 13 goals in just four games, and desperately need some defensive solidity.

Collins (valued at 900k on Transfermarkt.co.uk) has over 200 Premier League appearances to his name and over 50 Wales caps, meaning he will bring the experience that McClaren will be seeking, after his defence has looked all at sea in their opening fixtures.

Alongside the news that former Swansea right-back Àngel Rangel has joined QPR, The Rs are developing the semblance of a solid defence. Fans at Loftus Road will hope that the addition of those two players will provide a backbone to the team.

Both at the age of 35, neither Collins or Rangel are signings for the future. The chances are that they will only spend one season with The Hoops, but it is a season that could be monumental for the future of the club.

QPR host newly promoted Wigan tomorrow, with Rangel possibly in line to make a start. With the Collins deal not confirmed, it would obviously be too early to see an appearance by the Welshman, but the League Cup fixture midweek may be a good place.

Currently sitting at the bottom of the Championship table without a win, Steve McClaren will know that his job is at risk if results don’t improve dramatically. Securing the signature of Collins would be a step in the direction of recovery.

Prior to this evening, Fernando Llorente had made just one start for Tottenham Hotspur, and that was in a Carabao Cup match.

Tonight, the Spaniard finds himself in the starting XI for Spurs’ huge Champions League group match against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has made a surprise call by including Llorente in the lineup alongside Harry Kane up front.

The forward has made three Premier League appearances and two in Europe so far this season, but in none of those outings was he included in the first XI.

Meanwhile, Danny Rose, who has been out of action for the past nine months with a knee injury, has made it onto the substitutes bench, but there is no place for Moussa Dembele.

The main talking point from the fans, though, is Llorente’s inclusion, with many surprised that Pochettino has opted to start the striker in a game of this magnitude.

The 32-year-old does have experience playing against Madrid having had spells at Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla.

Newcastle might be wobbling at the minute in the Championship and are on course to lose the overall crown Brighton – who clinched promotion on the weekend – but it’s hard to see them missing out on a return to the top tier at the first time of asking with just three games to play and a six-point advantage over Reading (as well a vastly superior goal difference).

So, the Magpies should be working with top-level football in mind as they prepare for the off-season and the club cannot afford to repeat previous mistakes. While it would be naïve to suggest that signing players from abroad would be unwise – a state of affairs that hit hard for the club ahead of 2015/16 – maybe getting in some seasoned Premier League talent would be wise and they don’t come much more seasoned than John Terry.

The Chelsea idol will be a free agent in a few months’ time and while there are obvious weaknesses in his game nowadays, his nous and experience may be of use to a Newcastle team that will need to battle hard for safety.

So, should they gamble on Terry? Have your say below…

Arsene Wenger is doing it again, folks.

The Gunners’ boss is entering into his famed period of wonderful dilly-dallying whilst his Premier League rivals are throwing money at every footballer under the sun in an attempt to compile the most ostentatiously expensive squad in the history of sport.

Wenger, meanwhile, is still banging on about that time he had a chance at signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that moment that he considered putting a bid in for Gerard Pique when he was still in the womb.

It’s all getting a little tedious for Arsenal fans, we’d imagine. The same old excuses, the same old nonsense and the same old ‘falling just short’ when it comes to May the following year. Such fun.

Could Atletico Madrid oddly be the club to change this Arsene Wenger stubbornness? It would sure be entertaining if they did, if they managed to get Arsenal to spend recklessly on half their squad only to reinvest it better?

Well, these THREE stars could just tempt the Gunners…

Jose Gimenez

Arsenal have been crying out for a true no nonsense defender for about a decade now. Jose Gimenez could be that man.

We hear you saying that Gabriel is that player, but his reckless streak and headless chicken defending is too often a liability and the younger, classier Gimenez could be the real future of Arsenal’s defence.

Having pushed Miranda out of the Atleti team at such a young age, Gimenez clearly has the potential to go on to be one of the very best in the world.

Not to mention the fact that Gimenez would seemingly slot perfectly next to Koscielny.

Antoine Griezmann

As Arsenal’s desperation for a striker reaches concerning levels, there is one player who has been regularly overlooked in discussions; Antoine Griezmann.

Yes, the Frenchman has just signed a new contract with Atleti, but all this really means is that his release clause has taken a jump up.

After winning the Euros golden boot and starring as the main striker for Atleti last season, Griezmann is one of the hottest properties in world football right now. The prospect of his darting runs behind the defence being found by pinpoint Mesut Ozil passes is simply mouthwatering, too.

Griezmann’s arrival might even push Wenger towards a 4-4-2 considering the success that he had playing just off of Olivier Giroud.

Yannick Carrasco

So nearly the hero in the Champions League final, Carrasco still has a way to go if he is to be recognised as one of Europe’s best wingers.

His pace, however, makes him a constant threat and his game has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years.

Often used as an impact sub by Simeone, Carrasco would definitely be an upgrade on both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has officially launched the campaign for its bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034.

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Saudi Arabia bid campaign kicks offGrowing. Together. slogan revealedOfficial bid logo also unveiledWHAT HAPPENED?

Having announced its intention to bid for the World Cup back in October 2023, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has today officially launched its campaign to host the global tournament for the very first time in 2034. Under the slogan Growing. Together., SAFF has also revealed its bid logo, website and a short film that celebrates football in Saudi Arabia.

AdvertisementWHAT PRESIDENT OF THE SAFF SAID

Yasser Al Misehal said: "Telling our football story to the world is of massive importance. And we believe Growing. Together. is the perfect, yet simple description of our approach to hopefully hosting the tournament in 10 years’ time.

"Bidding to host a FIFA World Cup is only made possible by the rapid transformation the country is enjoying. We’ve made unprecedented progress in both the men’s and women’s game and our bid is an open invitation to the world to join us on this exciting journey. As we proved when we welcomed over 100 nationalities to the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 in Jeddah, the future is bright when we grow together."

Saudi Arabian Football FederationWHAT HEAD OF THE SAFF 2034 WORLD CUP BID UNIT SAID

Hammad Albalawi said: "This campaign is powered by the hopes and dreams of 32 million people in Saudi Arabia. Our responsibility is to submit the best possible bid to FIFA, make our country proud, and fulfil the trust placed upon us by more than 130 Member Associations across the world who supported our bid. Under Vision 2030 and the unconditional support of our country’s leadership, sport is helping unlock the passion and potential of our people, and as our campaign slogan says, Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 is all about being part of a global football family, with fans, players and federations all growing together."

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THE GROWING. TOGETHER. SLOGAN

The Growing. Together. slogan seeks to capture both the rapid rise of Saudi Arabia and the positive impact hosting the tournament would have on international football and the FIFA World Cup itself. The three pillars underpinning the bid are: Growing People. Together. – Growing Football. Together. – Growing Connections. Together. Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 international events across almost 40 sports over the past six years and the campaign slogan aims to capture the spirit of that bond to help build a better future.

Star striker Paul Mullin was on target to give Wrexham a 2-0 lead against Mansfield in their FA Cup first round clash on Saturday.

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Mullin scored for WrexhamDoubled the lead for his clubMansfield pulled one back within two minutesWHAT HAPPENED?

The forward was found in space in a dangerous area by team-mate Sam Dalby, who had scored earlier in the game, and sent the ball looping into the net.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The goal saw Wrexham's lead against their League Two rivals double and many would have thought Mullin had killed the game off, especially as it came just as Mansfield were growing into the game.

However, Mansfield responded immediately afterwards as Rhys Oates fired beyond Arthur Okwonko to pull a goal back.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Welsh striker is in fine form at the moment having scored in three out of the last four matches he has played in for his club. Since coming back to action from a punctured lung, that he suffered during a pre-season friendly against Manchester United, the 28-year-old has appeared in 11 matches across all competitions where he scored five goals and provided two assists.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Phil Parkinson's side will next take on Port Vale in the Football League Trophy on November 7.

MatériaMais Notícias

O contrato de Jorge Jesus com o Flamengo está perto do fim e, apesar das negociações e os desejos públicos das partes em renová-lo, ainda não há um acerto para tal. O vínculo do Mister é válido até o meio deste ano e o técnico, de Portugal, segue em tratativa com o Rubro-Negro, que tem como prioridade a permanência durante o mandato do presidente Rodolfo Landim, até 2021.

Como o LANCE! informou em 21 março – no início da paralisação do futebol brasileiro -, a pandemia do coronavírus teve impacto na negociação com o treinador. Em especial na parte econômica, dada a desvalorização da moeda brasileira em relação ao euro. Domingo, 19, a moeda fechou cotada em R$ 5,69. Em 1º de junho de 2019, quando foi anunciado, o câmbio era de R$ 4,39.

Em “circunstâncias normais”, o Flamengo esperava ter uma definição quanto a esse assunto neste momento. Em 1º de março, por exemplo, o vice-presidente de futebol Marcos Braz afirmou, após uma partida do Flamengo no Maracanã, que “arelação é boa (entre a diretoria e o técnico Jorge Jesus), só que agora está começando a ter que ter uma decisão em relação a isso (renovação).”

Contudo, o Flamengo mantém o otimismo na permanência do técnico. Afinal, os atuais vencimentos do técnico são considerados de “nível europeu”, e, assim como a direção, o Mister já manifestou várias vezes o desejo de dar sequência ao seu trabalho no comando do time, no qual conta com um ótimo ambiente.

Portanto, as tratativas entre Jorge Jesus, Marcos Braz, Bruno Spindel e Rodolfo Landim – nomes fortes do futebol e o presidente do clube – seguem, apesar da distância física entre as partes. O técnico está em Portugal desde o dia 22 de março, liberado por conta da pandemia da Covid-19. No momento, a volta ao Brasil é tão incerta quanto o retorno das atividades no CT do Ninho do Urubu.

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