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Fulham’s defensive woes this season have been there for all to see, but perhaps they wouldn’t have been in this mess if they’d have gotten one thing right over a decade ago.

The Whites were on the trail of one of the best young goalkeepers on the planet back in 2009 as they had 16-year-old Jan Oblak on trial, but for one reason or another, the Slovenian rejected the chance to sign for the London club.

Oblak instead opted to head back to his home country to continue his development with Olimpija Ljubljana, and Fulham have to be kicking themselves whenever they see him performing at the very highest level with Atletico Madrid these days.

Oblak is now rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he has been ranked as the number one stopper on the planet by FourFourTwo and transfermarkt have him down as the most valuable goalie in the game right now, rating him as an £81m player.

It’s hard to believe that Fulham faced an impossible task in trying to ply him away from Olimpija back in 2009, and if they’d have thrown bigger wages at him they would have landed one of the biggest bargains in the club’s history.

Fulham have a history of great goalkeepers at the club, Edwin van Der Sar ranks amongst the greatest of all-time, while Mark Schwarzer was one of the most consistent stoppers of the Premier League era.

Alphonse Areola is the Cottagers’ current number one, and despite having the pedigree of being PSG’s first choice a few years ago, it’s impossible to argue that Oblak wouldn’t be the better option.

11 years have passed since Oblak had a trial at Fulham, and it must be incredibly painful for anyone involved with the club to look back on that and not be absolutely gutted that they couldn’t secure his signature.

Oblak is certainly the one that got away in recent times at Fulham.

The stage is set for Liverpool to finally be tangibly rewarded for their runaway 2019/20 Premier League season.

Following their match against Chelsea this evening, the Reds will get the chance to lay their hands on the league trophy. James Pearce has reported that the Liverpool squad have had their say on the selection of songs that will be played during the post-match celebrations.

The players have opted for ‘All of the Lights’ by Kanye West and Coldplay’s ‘A Sky Full of Stars’, which was played at full-time when the Reds won their sixth Champions League trophy last season. However, a lot of fans aren’t keen on these choices and have flocked to Pearce’s tweet to share their thoughts.

One supporter has tweeted ‘God help us’ whilst another has commented saying ‘words fail me’. It seems that many Anfield faithful aren’t impressed at all with the playlist to mark the club’s first Premier League title.

Read more replies from Liverpool fans here:

How do you feel about the music choices, Reds fans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Tottenham Hotspur could do with reinforcing their defensive armoury this summer and a new right-sided option is surely high on the agenda, but fresh reports to a new target seem rather baffling…

What’s the word?

According to Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing Wolves right wing-back Matt Doherty to north London and is a big fan of the Irishman.

It’s claimed that the 28-year-old could cost Spurs around £12m without add-ons whilst they’ve also looked at the likes of Norwich City’s Max Aarons, Lille’s Zeki Celik and Atalanta’s Timothy Castagne.

Their chances of clinching the long-serving Wolves star could be bolstered should Nuno Santo land Ainsley Maitland-Niles from arch-rivals Arsenal.

Strange move…

Gold goes onto claim that Doherty “ticks a lot of boxes” for Spurs but it’s rather hard to agree despite him being a very good player in the Premier League.

He’s been able to thrive at Molineux thanks to Nuno’s system, which is usually a back three with wing-backs, something that Mourinho very rarely utilises – the Wolves boss has never played a back four during his time at the club, as per Transfermarkt.

There’s no denying that Spurs need a right-back after selling Kyle Walker-Peters to Southampton whilst Serge Aurier continues to be linked with an exit himself.

However, based on the 2019/20 campaign, the divisive Ivorian actually outperformed Doherty.

The 27-year-old provided two more assists and averaged more tackles (2.8), clearances (2.5), dribbles (1.2) and key passes (1) per game, via WhoScored.

So it doesn’t seem like he’d be much of an upgrade at all nor does he fit the system in north London.

That’s not to say he isn’t a top player in the PL because he is and that’s been reinforced by Jemaine Jenas calling him “absolutely sensational” on Match of the Day and Danny Mills believes the Irishman has been “outstanding” in the Midlands.

It’s just not a great fit for either party, so Mourinho shouldn’t bother sleepwalking Spurs into a nightmare scenario with this swoop.

AND in other news, Mourinho urged to sign ex-PL superstar Micky Gray…

Southampton have stripped Tottenham target Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of the club captaincy after he made it clear that he wants to leave the club, via Daily Mail. 

Last month, Hojbjerg indicated that he wants to play at “an even higher level than I already am” amid interest from Spurs and Everton. Therefore, Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed in a press conference earlier this week that he has given James Ward-Prowse the captain’s armband ahead of the Saints’ Premier League game against Norwich on Friday.

Earlier this year, Sky Sports revealed that Jose Mourinho has identified the midfielder at the top of his list of summer targets. According to The Times, the Saints will demand at least £35m for their former captain, despite the fact Tottenham had privately hoped he would cost around £20m.

Hojbjerg, who has been with Southampton since 2016 has been on Tottenham’s transfer radar for a number of months after impressing on the south coast.

The 24-year-old has played 28 games for Hasenhuttl’s side this term, supplying one assist, making 2.4 tackles per game, averaging 1.5 interceptions and completing 1.7 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

He can also occupy the defensive midfield position, which has proven to be a sticking point for Spurs in recent seasons, and he possesses leadership qualities that may turn out to be useful. Furthermore, the Danish international is adamant he wants to win the Premier League and play in the Champions League, which fits in line with Mourinho’s own ambitions.

Without sounding too harsh, it is difficult to imagine Southampton will be able to offer him European football any time soon, whilst the Lilywhites made it all the way to the Champions League final last year, and this should surely appeal to the Dane.

The Saints are struggling to cope with the financial repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the fact that Chinese chairman Gao Jisheng is desperate to sell his majority stake in the club, and it is likely that they will have to sell some of their star players in the summer to recoup some of the costs.

As it stands, a move for Hojbjerg may benefit all parties involved.

Tottenham fans, do you believe the board should sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Bradford City have not offered Sunderland target Jay Spearing a deal as the Black Cats look to make a summer move.

According to The Sun (5 July, page 61), Phil Parkinson is keen to take a punt on the former Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool midfielder after he became a free agent.

Parkinson will have a difficult summer ahead of him as he looks to rebuild his side after a second consecutive season without gaining promotion from League One to the Championship.

Finishing eighth in the League One table, the Wearsiders missed put on a play-off place and pressure will firmly be on Parkinson to make the right signings.

The Sun claims that Spearing is emerging as a transfer target after spending time under Parkinson at Bolton.

Spearing is reported to have been offered the chance to return to Merseyside with Tranmere Rovers, whilst Bradford were also said to be interest.

The Gazette report that despite the latter’s interest, a deal has not been offered, essentially making it a two-horse race between Sunderland and Tranmere.

This looks like good news for Sunderland, as it means that it remains a level playing field in the race to sign Spearing given no offer has been made by Bradford.

Signing the ex-Liverpool man could be good business from Parkinson. As mentioned he knows the player well from their time at Bolton and he is a player with lots of experience, not just in League One but also in the two divisions above – he has played 30 times in the Premier League.

Do you think Spearing would make a good signing for Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…

When you talk about some of the best players of Tottenham’s recent history, then Mousa Dembele is surely right up there at the very top of the conversation.

The Belgian powerhouse turned into a bona-fide star in north London, playing 249 times in his spell with the Lilywhites.

The 32-year-old joined the club back in the summer of 2012 from Fulham, becoming Andre Villas-Boas’ fourth signing whilst in charge of the club.

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Despite leaving the north London side in January 2019 when he moved to Guangzhou R&F for £11m, it appears Spurs fans haven’t forgotten about his contributions.

Some Spurs fans felt that Dembele’s departure was the real turning point for their team’s decline, with one supporter claiming that they didn’t “appreciate” him.

One fan meanwhile simply claimed that it was a “terrible decision” from Daniel Levy to sell the midfielder.

Amidst all the struggles of Tanguy Ndombele this season and his run-in with Jose Mourinho, it’s understandable why Spurs fans are still looking longingly at someone like Dembele.

Even more than a year later, the Lilywhites have yet to really replace their former midfielder, and until they do so, it will always be a case of what if he had stayed.

Meanwhile, Alasdair Gold has provided an update on Spurs’ interest in this Premier League starlet.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given the task of replacing Jose Mourinho as Manchester United manager, there may have been one or two eyebrows raised.

After all, the Norwegian’s previous experience as a manager in English football’s top-flight was to see him relegated whilst at the helm of Cardiff.

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But in the end, Solskjaer enjoyed an impressive run of form to start of his managerial career at United, and at the time of football’s postponement, had left the Red Devils in fifth place and just three points off the all-important top-four.

And now, Nemanja Matic has waxed lyrical about his manager, saying: “Ole is a great manager. I think he has improved a lot since he came to United, and he is different now. I’m sure he has a great future here, and he will win us trophies.”

After hearing what the midfielder had to say, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts.

One United fan however felt that Matic is simply being cynical, and that praising Solskjaer would be a guaranteed way of getting a new contract at the club.

Clearly, Solskjaer’s reputation is growing amongst United’s players.

With the likes of Mourinho, Van Gaal and Moyes all enjoying years of managerial experience, Solskjaer came in at United as a relative novice.

But in his first full season in charge, he has got the Red Devils within touching distance of reclaiming a place in the Champions League, and that would be a great starting block to build from.

Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they’d sell Mohamed Elyounoussi, following a report from Football Insider stating that the Saints have told Celtic of their asking price for the attacker, which is believed to be £8m-£10m.The Norway international joined the Bhoys on a season-long loan deal back in the summer, and has been in fantastic form for the Scottish giants so far this term.

Elyounoussi – who Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once described as “really frustrating” but also “having the X factor” – has netted seven goals in 12 appearances for Neil Lennon’s side, while also registering six assists.

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Southampton spent a reported £16m on the 25-year-old when signing him from FC Basel back in the summer of 2018, although he has failed to find the back of the net or even grab an assist in 19 appearances for the south coast side.

Now, some Southampton fans on Twitter have revealed that they’d happily see the back of him.

Let’s take a look at some of the tweets…

According to reports from The Daily Star, Manchester United are growing increasingly confident of signing Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez in a £135m deal.

What’s the word?

It is claimed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s targeting the Spain international as a replacement for Paul Pogba, who is expected to join Real Madrid in the next transfer window provided they meet United’s £100m asking price.

The funds will then be used to help activate Niguez’s £135m release clause, with the United boss believing a midfield containing the Atletico man and January signing Bruno Fernandes can propel the club back towards its domineering status of old.

That would make the 25-year-old the most expensive signing in Premier League history, eclipsing the £94.5m United spent on Pogba almost four years ago by more than £40m.

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McTominay and Fred at loggerheads

Scott McTominay and Fred have been arguably United’s two most improved players of the 2019/20 campaign, but if The Daily Star’s report is to be believed then the midfield duo could ultimately end up at loggerheads next season.

After managing just 13 Premier League starts during his debut campaign at Old Trafford, the Brazilian has made himself one of the first names on the team-sheet and completely overturned his status as a costly flop, to the extent that United fans were comparing him to Park Ji-Sung and N’Golo Kante after the most recent Manchester derby.

Speaking of which, McTominay’s rise from promising youngster continued in that game with a goal against United’s bitter rivals, while Whoscored have him as United’s sixth-best performer in the top flight this term – his average rating jumping up from just 6.48 in 2018/19 to 7.1 this time around.

But unless Solskjaer intends to use the diamond system that he’s deployed just once in the Premier League this season – according to Whoscored – on a more permanent basis, then McTominay and Fred will be left fighting for the solitary spot left in United’s midfield, presumably anchoring Niguez and Fernandes.

Of course, United will be fighting on multiple fronts and squad depth is crucial, but ultimately both players, Niguez and Fernandes can’t all make Solskjaer’s strongest XI. Rather than working in impressive tandem as they have for much of the current campaign, Fred and McTominay will have to fight it out for that last vacancy in United’s engine room.

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

Patrick Bamford hasn’t scored for nine league games now.

The striker must be feeling bereft of confidence after his latest goal drought, but it only takes one strike to reignite his form, and this weekend represents a great chance for the forward to get back amongst the goals.

QPR’s defending

While playing against the eighth-placed team in the Championship may represent a real challenge for Leeds United it shouldn’t be too hard for them to get amongst the goals.

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The London club have conceded more strikes than any other team in the Championship barring Barnsley.

While their attack may cause Leeds some problems, the Whites shouldn’t have any issues when it comes to creating chances and having attempts on goal.

Bamford’s chance

The chief complaint about Bamford is that he needs a bagful of opportunities before he eventually puts one in the net, fortunately, he’s likely to get those chances against the Rs.

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Indeed, QPR have allowed 14 shots on target in their last two league games, and with the number of chances Leeds create they should be able to pepper the goal with shots.

This really does represent an opportunity for Bamford to find the net and kick start a revival for his season. After all, he fashions as many as 3.2 shots on goal per game.

The former Middlesbrough striker is massively a form player, just look at the start of this season where he scored four in his first five league games. Since then he’s not found the net.

If he can hit the net with one of the shots he is inevitably going to get against QPR that could be the catalyst for a good goalscoring run heading into a season-defining portion of the Whites’ campaign.