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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…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino said three key words after being asked about his side’s improved pressing following their 5-0 win against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night – “I want more”.

What did he say then?

Well, Spurs’ energy and work-rate all across the pitch was evident in their Champions League fixture against the Serbian club, and it begged the question why similar hadn’t been seen in recent weeks in disappointing performances against the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion and Watford.

Asked about the change in intensity by Football London’s Alasdair Gold post-match, the Argentine responded:

These are certainly some words that should provide a lot of encouragement for Spurs supporters.

Change of fortunes?

While it’s clear to see that Red Star weren’t the highest level of opposition Tottenham could have been facing given their lack of confidence going into the encounter, they still absolutely blew them away in the capital on Tuesday.

The likes of Son Heung-min and Erik Lamela pressed from the front, and helped influence a whole team display that the visitors simply couldn’t cope with.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful would have been impressed with what they saw from their side, as there was certainly shades of the same tactics used back in the days when they finished second in the Premier League in 2017, for example.

The fact that Pochettino wants even more from this group of players is exciting too, as it suggests the former Southampton boss feels his squad has a lot more to give in that respect.

If they can beat Red Star 5-0, imagine how dominant they could be when they are at an even higher level when it comes to their fitness and pressing?

Barcelona fans have been comparing Frenkie de Jong to legendary midfielder Xavi in reaction to a recent club post on Twitter.

The Dutchman was signed from Ajax in the summer transfer window to become the Catalan club’s latest maestro, and in a recent tweet Barcelona made reference to his outstanding passing ability and love of doing it.

They captioned an image of De Jong laying on the floor and staring at the grass with: “Each individual blade of grass has the potential to affect passing accuracy.”

Many Barca fans have responded to this by likening the Netherlands international to their former player Xavi, who himself was noted for his love of passing the ball as well as being extremely gifted at it.

Whilst De Jong has a long way to go to reach the heights that Xavi did, there are certainly similarities in how they both play the game.

Xavi himself has previously commented on De Jong’s ability, saying: “De Jong is a footballer who can mark an era in Barcelona. He is able to dominate the game, he sees it easily and doesn’t lose the ball.”

Barcelona fans will likely be hoping that De Jong can go on and achieve close to what Xavi did in his time at the Nou Camp. Here is how some of responded to the post on Twitter, with most comparing the Dutchman to the great Spaniard…

Do you think De Jong could go on to emulate Xavi as a Barcelona player? Let us know your views in the comments section below!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Arsenal striker John Hartson has had his say on what the future holds for Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The pressure certainly appears to be building on the Argentine following a disastrous few weeks in which they have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a team in League Two, and beaten 7-2 by Bayern Munich on their own patch in the Champions League.

While the former Southampton boss has to take some of the flak when things don’t go right on the pitch, you can’t help but feel that the uncertainty over a number of key players’ futures is having an impact – something Harry Kane has hinted at in recent times.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Hartson believes that Pochettino is still a popular manager among Europe’s elite clubs despite his failure to do one thing during his spell in north London, and foresees a scenario where he could choose to move on should one of those sides approach Spurs over his availability.

The Welshman said: “A club could come for Poch tomorrow. And all of a sudden, he thinks well, maybe I’m not appreciated at Spurs and I’m not getting the credit I deserve.

“He’s a very good manager and one of the superclubs could come in for him. But there is this feeling around the football fraternity that he needs to win a trophy.”

Given some of the calls from fans on Twitter for new managers such as Jose Mourinho and Julian Nagelsmann in recent weeks, Hartson may well have a point.

Those Tottenham supporters need to consider that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and perhaps they would be better off keeping the faith with the man who has brought them on leaps and bounds since his appointment in 2014.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

It’s not really easy making it at Barcelona, it never was, and many of their failed prospects and transfer flops can attest to that.

But it’s even more difficult for the young players aiming to earn promotion into the senior squad from the famous La Masia academy.

Marc Cucurella is one player who has been patient and worked hard, but his chance never truly arrived.

Currently, though, Cucurella is playing on loan at Getafe, and if the early signs are any indication, he just might have found an ideal home to catalyse his development.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

So far, the 21-year-old has played all three games and has stayed on the pitch for the entirety of the 90 minutes as well. Not only that, but he also registered two assists in the last two matches, helping his team claim two points against tricky opponents.

And in both of those games, we’ve seen quite impressive performances from the young defender, who was actually deployed at left-wing rather in his natural left-back position. But the clash against Deportivo Alaves was particularly interesting because it showed the whole array of Cucurella’s abilities.

The 21-year-old registered one assist, two key passes, 100% accuracy on his long balls and even contributed defensively with four tackles, which was also the highest total in his team and joined-highest in the whole game, including both sides.

And his 57 touches, also among the highest in the team, indicate he was heavily involved throughout.

The best part, however, might be that his performance was no anomaly. During the clash against Athletic Bilbao, a team that took down Barcelona in La Liga’s curtain-raiser this season, he was shining all the way.

In that game, he also recorded an assist, had a strike at goal, completed one key pass, four tackles and five long balls. By all accounts, another solid performance from the young Barcelona loanee.

One thing that just might be standing in the way of his glorious return is the purchase of Junior Firpo, who is set to be Jordi Alba’s reserve left-back in Catalonia.

At least Cucurella knows he made the right decision to go on loan to Getafe as he is surely set for more game time in Madrid than he could have expected had he stayed at the Nou Camp.

But the level of performance he’s showcased so far just might force Ernesto Valverde to scratch his head and think about giving Cucurella a chance once his loan spell comes to an end.

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

Leeds’ first-half display didn’t provide many answers for Marcelo Bielsa as they went into the break at Oakwell with the game level at 0-0.

It took Leeds until the final ten minutes to finally break the deadlock as like they did against Swansea, they struggled to actually find the back of the net before eventually prevailing 2-0.

Jack Harrison was one of the poorer performers from a Whites perspective and was withdrawn at half time with Helder Costa coming on.

He won the free-kick for Leeds’ opening goal so he definitely had a key impact in securing a win for the visitors.

However, it may not be Costa that’s causing Harrison the most problems.

On the chalkboard

The 22-year-old started the season in brilliant fashion by scoring against Bristol City but since that outing, he hasn’t been able to contribute to a single goal.

Harrison has been struggling and with Costa breathing over his shoulder, the 5 foot 9 winger’s place could be under threat.

Against the Reds last Sunday, he had just one shot and achieved a pass success rate of 65% according to WhoScored.

He also managed a solitary key pass but had two unsuccessful touches in 45 minutes on the field.

It was an unconvincing display, one where he failed to really get forward.

The heatmap above demonstrates where Harrison was most involved at Oakwell but as you can see, he spent most of the time behind the halfway line. That isn’t ideal for someone you expect to be influencing the game in the final third.

This time you can see Ezgjan Alioski’s heatmap. His average positions were much higher up the field which can be argued as a reason for why Harrison was deeper last weekend.

Alioski is known for getting forward and already has a goal to his name this term, adding to the seven he scored in 2018/19.

With that in mind, the North Macedonian might be one of the reasons for why Harrison has struggled since his introduction into the side.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Considering Alioski is such a presence in attacking scenarios, it may have the Manchester City loanee thinking he needs to be more disciplined and sit back, rather than leaving a big gap in behind down the left.

That, in turn, leads to a less daring display from Harrison who is playing deeper than he would probably like to.

Unless he starts getting further forward, it’s difficult to see how he’ll improve his numbers in terms of goals and assists.

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According to The Daily Mail, Southampton are preparing to launch a £10 million offer for Genk right-back Joakim Maehle.

What’s the story?

Ralph Hasenhuttl is apparently lining up Maehle as a replacement for Cedric Soares and to provide cover for impressive youngster Yan Valery, as per The Dail Mail. 

Maehle has been in fine form so far this season. According to Transfermarkt’s statistics, the 21-year-old has racked up two goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in all competitions. 

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

By contrast – as per Transfermarkt’s stats – Cedric has registered just two goals and ten assists in his 119 games as a Southampton player to date.

Maehle, then, potentially offers a great upgrade in terms of producing in the final third for the south coast club, making him an exciting potential replacement for the Euro 2016 winner.

More than a back-up option

Since Hasenhuttl’s arrival at St Mary’s Stadium, 19-year-old Valery has been entrusted with regular game time as the first team right-back. The French teenager has excelled in this role, and The Daily Mail state that Maehle’s arrival could simply be to provide cover for Valery.

However, considering the Denmark under-21 international looks set to cost Southampton £10 million, it would be surprising if Hasenhuttl only saw him as a back-up option for a teenager. Maehle himself will have designs on forcing his way into the Saints’ starting XI, and he certainly has the capacity to shine in the Premier League.

Valery will have to up his game even more in order to rise above Maehle in the pecking order.

There was a lot of talk about Ivan Rakitic’s possible departure during the summer transfer window.

The 31-year-old Croatian midfielder was mentioned as a potential bargaining chip in Barcelona’s attempts to snatch Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.

But the transfer window came and went and Rakitic stayed at the club in the end.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, however, there are new updates on his possible departure in January, as Juventus have reportedly been monitoring the Croat, per Tuttosport, and would like to acquire his services in the winter transfer window.

Needless to say, the sheer possibility of Rakitic actually leaving Barcelona has many fans over the moon with joy. They have quickly taken to social media and Twitter to express their enthusiasm about the possible transfer.

Many of them seem to hope that it will indeed go through and they don’t really care where he ends up, as long as it’s far away from their team.

You can see some of their reactions in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

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Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to finalise a move for winger Adama Traore, with the completion of the deal dependent on Wolves’ decision regarding the structure of the transfer fee, according to reports by football.london’s Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Traore not a regular starter

Despite having featured in 19 Premier League games this season, only 10 of these saw Traore in the starting XI, with the majority coming at the beginning of the campaign.

The Spain international has never been known for his clinical nature in the final third, yet it seems that his end product is proving to be even more of an issue this season than before. The 25-year-old has scored just once in the league this term, breaking his duck on Saturday against Southampton, and more shockingly has failed to produce a single assist from a playmaking position on the wing.

As a result, Bruno Lage seems to prefer other options on the right-hand side, opting to utilise Traore’s lightning speed in the final 20 minutes to run tired defenders ragged in search of a late goal.

The Latest: Spurs want to make Traore deal happen

According to Gold for football.london, Spurs remain keen on the signing of Traore during the January window. However, the move ‘all depends on’ whether Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici can come to an agreement with Wolves over the structure of the fee.

Tottenham would prefer a loan deal with an obligation to buy, as this would free up funds which could be used to pursue additional signings in the current window. However, Wolves were resistant to that idea last summer, as they preferred a deal where they would receive the transfer fee sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Circumstances may make the deal more accessible

Despite the summer’s outcome, it remains to be seen whether Wolves’ stance has softened. Given that Traore is not a regular starter under Lage, and with his contract set to expire in 18 months’ time, it begs the question whether the Midlands club will choose to cash in whilst his value is high.

With Antonio Conte looking for a new right wing-back, Spurs could ramp up their pursuit of the Spaniard, with the hope that the former Inter boss may be able to spark Traore’s previous ‘unplayable’ Premier League form, as Jurgen Klopp called it.

We’re now into the final two weeks of the transfer window, so the clock is ticking if Tottenham want to secure the 25-year-old’s services this month.

In other news: Paratici now incredibly keen to sign ‘formidable talent’ for Spurs; Pochettino called him ‘wonderful’

Aston Villa target Joe Gomez is ‘staying at Liverpool’, Pete O’Rourke has told Give Me Sport.

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans wrote earlier this month that Gomez is a player Villa ‘like’.

The Englishman has found game time hard to come by at Anfield this season, with just 11 appearances (four starts) under his belt.

Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Gomez is valued at £22.5million by Transfermarkt and his £75,000-per-week contract still has two and a half years to run.

The latest

O’Rourke has learned that Liverpool have absolutely no plans to offload Gomez at this stage.

“From what I’ve been told, Joe Gomez is staying at Liverpool, he won’t be going anywhere,” he told GMS when asked about the possibility of a deal by Johan Lange.

The verdict

Gomez would have been an excellent signing for Villa. In the words of Jurgen Klopp, he’s a ‘sensational’ player with ‘outstanding speed’.

He’s still only 24, so while he’s struggled for minutes this season, the Reds may well view him as part of their long-term plans. And, unless Liverpool’s stance changes, Villa need to move onto other targets.

After Axel Tuanzebe’s loan was cut short, they’ve been left with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Kortney Hause as their only senior centre-backs.

And Konsa’s recent injury shows how perilous that situation is. All of a sudden, Steven Gerrard may find himself with no experienced back-up.

In other news, fans react to links with this forward.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, the Magpies are confident of being able to agree a deal to sign the former Tottenham full-back next month.

The report claims that the player is keen on a return to England and is open to arriving at St James’ Park in the January window.

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will be delighted with this update from Waugh for several reasons. Firstly, it indicates that the player is interested in a move, which surely improves their chances of being able to sign him. This does not appear to be a situation where the club are desperately trying to convince him to join.

Supporters will also be buzzing that the club are confident of sealing a deal, as it suggests that they believe they can tempt Atletico into parting ways with the 31-year-old. This could duly allow them to bring him in early in the month instead of it dragging out through to deadline day, which means that he can potentially play a part in some of Newcastle’s Premier League games in January.

Finally, the Toon Army will surely be delighted as he could be a terrific addition to the squad. England manager Gareth Southgate once lauded the defender for his form in Spain since leaving his home country, saying: “What Kieran has, firstly, is hugely underestimated. People are still seeing the lad that was at Spurs a couple of years ago and not the defensive animal that has grown at Atlético Madrid, trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world.

“He gets his distances right on cover, he’s good one-v-one to stop crosses and his talking is really good. There was always going to be changes to our back four and we felt that communication and organisation was an important part.”

Trippier averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.20 last season in La Liga. He made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game, also chipping in with six assists.

This suggests that he could come in at Newcastle and offer a balance between defence and attack at right-back, bolstering Eddie Howe’s squad and possibly improving their chances of avoiding relegation.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Lewis: PIF can seal dream NUFC signing with £25m “monster” who can “win games”…