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Many Blades fans have been reacting to Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder’s comments in a wide-ranging interview with Sky Sports. 

Speaking on the flagship Football Show, Wilder spoke to David Jones, Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness about a whole number of topics, including how he is coping with the nationwide lockdown, his management style, Dean Henderson’s ongoing transfer saga, and so much more.

The former United player has steered his side all the way from the doldrums of League One, right the way through to the top end of the Premier League, and the South Yorkshire outfit are currently seventh in the English top flight, with European football firmly in their sights.

Wilder told the national outlet “we’ve been playing three at the back from League One – we didn’t want to take a wrecking ball to it. We got told it would be a big, scary division going up to the Championship.”

“We respected that and being in it for two years, it’s an incredible division with some big, historic teams. We’ve kept tweaking and tried to improve as we go along.”

He went on to discuss how he deals with player criticism.

“They know it’s black and white from my point of view. They know where they stand and I don’t hear many complaints. If there are, they know which door to knock on.”

“Dean Henderson wants to be an international goalkeeper, win 50-odd caps, play for Manchester United. He’s going to have to put up with disappointment. That’s how it is. But I talked to Dean afterwards [following a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool]. The players know I’m their biggest supporter and backer.”

Manchester United’s Henderson is enjoying a successful spell on loan in South Yorkshire, helping the Blades get promoted, and mount a surprising surge for European football this year. He continues to impress the crowds at Bramall Lane, playing 27 games in the Premier League, keeping 10 clean sheets and only conceding 22 goals so far (Transfermarkt).

Unsurprisingly, loads of SUFC supporters raved over Wilder’s “brilliant” comments on Twitter, with one fan dubbing the manager an “absolute legend” and another adding he has a “great attitude.”

Take a look at some of the best reactions down below…

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

In what promises to be one of the longest running transfer sagas of the summer, Timo Werner’s potential move to Liverpool is likely to be front and centre of the headlines.

The Germany international has been linked with a switch to Anfield for a number of weeks and months, with recent reports claiming that Werner is ready to join Jurgen Klopp’s side “if they pay his £52m release clause before it expires on June 15”.

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The striker’s current side, RB Leipzig, return to Bundesliga action this weekend, and ahead of the match, Werner took to Twitter to post a picture of him getting ready for the game.

And eagle-eyed Liverpool fans flooded the replies section to share their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target.

A couple of Liverpool fans picked up on the fact that Werner was wearing a red training top, and insisted that he looked good in the colour.

So it seems Liverpool supporters are very keen on seeing Werner join the Klopp revolution at Anfield.

Whether the Reds need a new centre-forward is certainly up for debate given the success the club have enjoyed over the past couple of seasons, but there’s no doubting some extra firepower wouldn’t go amiss.

And judging by their reactions, he would certainly be a popular signing too.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to beat Arsenal to sign Kim-min jae this summer.

Tottenham have been close to completing the signing of the Beijing Guoan defender for a number of months, but now negotiations have moved one step nearer.

According to KBS News, as per @TranSPURS, Kim is flying to north London to finalise the move.

The Mirror claimed earlier this year that Spurs were leading the race to sign the South Korean in the summer, as relayed by HITC.

Recent reports suggested both sides have agreed a fee of £15m is acceptable, and he now only has to complete a medical to seal the deal.

Kim, who is known as ‘Monster’, is an international teammate of Son Heung-min, who is the club’s second-highest goalscorer this season.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun over the course of the campaign, conceding nearly 50 goals so far.

Jose Mourinho wants to fix his defensive problems as soon as possible, as Jan Vertonghen is seemingly destined for the exit, while questions remain over Juan Foyth’s future at the club.

The 23-year-old has already won 30 caps for his country, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the process, which earned him certain military privileges (via The Guardian).

Kim cuts quite the imposing figure at the back as he stands 1,9m tall, which explains why Mourinho wants to sign him in the summer.

The Portuguese tried to sign Harry Maguire during his time in charge of Manchester United, although he was unsuccessful in his attempt, and the South Korea shares similar physical attributes with the Englishman.

At £15m, Kim should be more than affordable for Spurs, as this will surely fall within Mourinho’s restricted budget.

Spurs attempted to pursue the centre-back several years ago but it now seems like they have finally got their wish.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kim in the summer? Let us know down below!

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…

Charlie Eccleshare, of The Athletic, has been speaking about the restraints Mauricio Pochettino has worked under due to Daniel Levy’s policies.

What did he say?

Spurs’ current position in the bottom half of the table means that the manager will naturally come under some pressure.

The club’s latest result, a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United, has definitely not helped his situation, though it is difficult to distinguish how much of the club’s current predicament is down to the manager.

When asked about the various issues facing Spurs and whether another manager who could succeed under Levy’s constraints as part of a Q&A, Eccleshare replied: “Pochettino saw this coming to be fair, and wanted to overhaul the squad. Your final question is for me the crux of it – if Levy carries on with his approach as it is, then you’re talking about a tiny group of managers who could do what Poch has.”

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Difficult circumstances

There has been frustration for Pochettino regarding transfers, to the extent that he has distanced himself from the club’s policy.

In July, the Argentinian was quoted by ESPN as saying: “I am not in charge and I know nothing about the situation of my players, I am only coaching them and trying to get the best from them. Sell, buy players, sign contract, not sign contract – I think it is not in my hands, it’s in the club’s hands and Daniel Levy.

“Maybe the club need to change my title and description. My job now is to coach the team. Of course I am the boss deciding the strategy to play, training, in my area, but in another area, I don’t know. Today, I feel like I am the coach.”

With the modern game now having roles such as the Director of Football, there are situations like this at many clubs, but there are arguably very few who have done so well with the restraints Pochettino has faced.

There won’t be many clubs fighting for a place in the Champions League without making a single signing, as Pochettino did last season – even the Chelsea side Frank Lampard took over with a transfer ban during the summer had Christian Pulisic coming in and secured Mateo Kovacic’s services permanently.

There are certain restrictions that are limiting what Pochettino is able to do at Spurs and Eccleshare is right in saying many managers would struggle to replicate what he has done. That may well factor into how long Pochettino lasts in the face of disappointing results.

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

In a rather surprising turn of events, Paris Saint-Germain have taken an interest in Liverpool’s Adam Lallana, as per a report coming exclusively from The Mirror.

What’s the word, then?

The same source explains how Paris Saint-Germain seem to think Edinson Cavani will be moving away from the French capital to join LA Galaxy in the near future and they will need a replacement for him.

The Uruguayan forward is out of contract next summer and with him leaving, there would be a big void up front that would definitely need covering sooner rather than later.

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Lallana, whose contract expires in the summer as well, is one of their options at the moment but the Englishman is also wanted by clubs from China and the MLS, The Mirror reveals.

And looking at the deal as a whole, Paris Saint-Germain should really stay away from the Liverpool outcast.

A drop in quality

Without exaggerating too much, Cavani truly is still one of the best strikers on the planet.

Even though the Uruguayan is on the wrong side of his 30s, his output is still fairly impressive.

This season, PSG’s prolific forward has bagged two goals in six Ligue 1 games – which is slightly less than his usual tally – but we shouldn’t forget we’re talking about a man who managed to score 195 goals and assist further 40 in 287 games for the French giants.

If we crunch the numbers ourselves, that amounts to about 0.67 goals per game.

When we compare Lallana’s output with that of the Uruguayan, the difference is staggering, to say the least.

22 goals in 164 games or 0.13 goals per game is miles behind what Cavani does.

Not to mention it would be replacing a 32-year-old player with a 31-year-old player, which makes little sense to begin with from a long-term point of view.

Lallana is struggling for game time at Liverpool – seeing how he has only tallied 304 minutes in eight games so far – as it is and getting someone else’s outcast for their main striker, who also represents a drop in quality as per the aforementioned stats, shouldn’t be top of PSG’s priority list.

Not to mention that the Englishman’s £7million-a-season salary would put him ahead of the likes of Marco Verratti and Julian Draxler, who earn €7,175,000 (£6.15m) according to Capology, and that’s without taking into account the possibility of a raise were he to join the French club.

When everything is said and done, this is one deal PSG should not be chasing.

Tottenham Hotspur announced on Tuesday evening that Mauricio Pochettino had been sacked as head coach of the London club.

In a statement, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said that he was “extremely reluctant” to make the change.

However, Pochettino has now been relieved of his duties and the search for his successor didn’t take long at all, with Jose Mourinho being appointed less than 12 hours later.

Tottenham reached the 2019 Champions League final but there is no getting away from the fact that results have been poor this season.

Indeed, the capital side have only won three of their 12 Premier League matches to sit down in 14th position in the table.

The change has occurred ahead of Saturday’s derby with West Ham United, which has just become an even bigger match than it already was.

And the overriding feeling from the Spurs fans on social media is that their club have got this particular decision badly wrong.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Manchester United and Manchester City will “go to war” over Rochdale youngster Luke Matheson, according to the Mirror.

Matheson scored the equaliser against United in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford last month and the two clubs are reported to be ready to sign him in January.

The Englishman turned 17 this month and the report claims his goal in the Carabao Cup in front of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made the Norwegian take notice of him.

It says Pep Guardiola is also believed to be a fan, so Rochdale are preparing themselves for a January battle between their Greater Manchester neighbours to secure his signature after Christmas.

The England Under-18 defender is described by the Mirror as a “bright spark”, mentioning he’s currently studying A-Levels in history, sociology and psychology.

They also include quotes from Matheson about playing at Old Trafford, which read: “I’ve never played anywhere like it, with a crowd of that size before.

“So to start and score was just a dream come true. They call it the Theatre of Dreams for a reason and my dreams definitely came true.”

By the sounds of those quotes, the youngster lapped up the opportunity to play at Old Trafford, and surely he wouldn’t think twice about a move if one was offered to him given their stature.

If the reports are true and they’re to be rivalled by Man City for the 17-year-old then they could face a problem, considering the attraction of Pep Guardiola and the fact City are fighting for the title and United the top six.

However, City have failed to bring through young talent over the last ten years, with Phil Foden only having played 25 minutes so far this Premier League season, so he might see more of a chance at Old Trafford, where the likes of Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Andreas Perreira featuring in the first-team heavily.

Either way, if his five appearances in League One and three in the League Cup have attracted the two big clubs in his home region, Rochdale should make the right decision for his development, not their pockets.

Man United fans, who would you like to see breakthrough into the first team next?

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…

Alan Hutton has slammed Tottenham Hotspur full-back Serge Aurier after his performance against Liverpool on Sunday, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

The 51-cap Ivory Coast international conceded a penalty after kicking Sadio Mane in the box as the Reds came from 1-0 down to win 2-1 at Anfield.

He has been in erratic form all season, being shown a red card against Southampton, and has contributed to just one clean sheet thus far this term.

And Hutton, who played at right-back for Spurs between 2008 and 2011, has savaged the full-back:

He said: “It’s difficult to watch at times. One minute he does something brilliant and then the next minute it’s as if he just switches off.

“It’s his third or fourth penalty he’s given away – it’s just clumsy. It’s clumsy not knowing where the attacking player is and it’s a big swing. He did well initially, I thought, to get the ball but just keep concentrating.

“He’s taken a big lash at it and ended up kicking him in the back of the leg. It’s happening too much for my liking and I think when you’re in a difficult situation as Tottenham have been, you need people out there who you can trust to give you consistent performances.

“Playing him, you don’t know what you’re going to get. I can’t see him just sticking with it.”

Walker-Peters’ time

The time is right to promote Kyle Walker-Peters permanently.

The 22-year-old has made a total of 21 appearances for the first-team, scoring one goal and providing six assists.

And yet he has not even been included in the squad for the last seven Premier League outings.

Per WhoScored, he averages 2.7 tackles per game in the league, one interception and just 0.3 fouls, along with 1.7 dribbles and a pass completion rate of 87.6%.

Aurier, by comparison, averages two tackles, two interceptions, 1.4 fouls, 0.6 dribbles and a passing accuracy of 78.6%.

It is baffling to suggest that the Ivorian is any better than Walker-Peters, who could well be something of a saviour at right-back.

He is nowhere near as rash as the former PSG man and is also an all-round better player, both defensively and going forward.

He should be restored to the team as soon as possible.

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…

Speaking to episode seven of the Training Ground Guru Podcast, Victor Orta gave an in-depth assessment of the club and Marcelo Bielsa, detailing specifically the advantage the young players have at the club.

What’s he said?

Leeds may be sitting in fifth place in the Championship after their defeat to Millwall but there are still reasons to be positive, particularly as they’re playing such good football.

One negative, however, is the current injuries. Liam Cooper is out for six weeks while Jamie Shackleton is also set to miss a month.

That being said, chances could be on the horizon for a few more younger players. Leif Davis, Robbie Gotts and Jack Clarke were on the bench last weekend while Pascal Struijk and Olly Casey were spoken about by Bielsa recently too.

It’s no secret that the Argentine likes to give opportunities to the young players but that’s only been magnified by Orta, who suggested they help him with his ideas. He said:

“He talks with facts. Jack Clarke, Leif Davis. He talks always in his career – I remember in Bilbao that changed lives. He talks with facts. He likes the young players because what he finds in them is amazing for his ideas.”

Promising future

As of last January, Bielsa had handed ten opportunities to players under the age of 21. That’s a glowing indication of his attention to youth but so is the fact he’s given first-team debuts to Alfie McCalmont and Mateusz Bogusz since then as well.

Bielsa has helped change the face of the football club and that’s ringing true at academy level too where he’s installed one of his assistant’s Carlos Corberan as the U23s manager.

The fact that the 64-year-old finds the young players amazing for instilling his own ideas is something that simply has to be relayed to those coming through at Thorp Arch.

If Jack Clarke is worried about his game time then he needs to bear in mind Bielsa was the one that gave him his chance in the first place. The same goes for someone like Davis who has also been handed chances sparingly in 2019/20.

But for those who haven’t earned debuts, this should be seen as an opportunity too, not least for the aforementioned Struijk and Casey who could well pounce on the uncertainty surrounding the defence.

Bielsa appears straight up with the young players and Orta’s words should serve as big motivation. They must be on red alert with opportunities there to be had.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris must be mightily relieved that not only did his team managee to take all three points against Southampton on Saturday, but that Serge Aurier’s first half red card appears to have overshadowed his dreadful error.

The France international had so much time to clear the ball when it was passed back to him as the 10-man hosts looked to hold on to the 1-0 lead they had, but he failed miserably with a Cruyff Turn to allow Danny Ings to prod the ball over the line.

Luckily for the north London outfit it didn’t prove costly as Harry Kane’s goal proved to be the difference between the two, but plenty of pundits have expressed their concerns over the experienced 32-year-old, who cost £12m when he signed from Lyon in 2012.

Here’s what they had to say…

Don Hutchison

Speaking on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel, the former West Ham United midfielder said: “You can’t try a trick there. If you’re going to try a trick make sure it comes off, he had loads of options to the left-hand side. It was ludicrous, it was bad professionalism and it was shocking goalkeeping.”

Jamie Redknapp

The former Tottenham star wrote in his Daily Mail column: “They were badly let down by errors from Serge Aurier and Hugo Lloris on Saturday and Lloris in particular is a worry. In the last year the Frenchman has made a few mistakes you wouldn’t expect from him.

Sam Allardyce

Speaking on Goals on Sunday, in quotes reported by HITC, the former England manager said: “The perception is that this is good for the game. For me, that is a false perception. This is just making the wrong decisions in the wrong areas most of the time. We have seen so many goals given away like this now – that’s just blatant poor play.

“When you start asking goalkeepers, who can’t play out from the back, and I think Lloris is a fabulous goalkeeper, but he falls short on the ball when he is playing out from the back.”

Verdict

They’ve all got a point, to be fair.

A player of Lloris’ experience and quality shouldn’t be making a mistake like that, and perhaps it is time for Pochettino to stop making the Frenchman play out from the back, as it is something he appears increasingly uncomfortable doing.

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That blunder could easily have cost Tottenham one or three points at the weekend had Southampton shown more quality in the final third, and that is the last thing they need following an already-tough start to the campaign.

It is certainly a worry the Argentine manager could do without considering the other issues he has to deal with, including the likes of Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld all being out of contract next summer.