Metro.co.uk

Wayne Rooney makes Tottenham relegation prediction ahead of Liverpool vs Spurs

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Wayne Rooney makes Tottenham relegation prediction ahead of Liverpool vs Spurs - Metro.co.uk
Description

Wayne Rooney believes Tottenham will be relegated from the Premier League this season and has urged Robbie Keane not to take the job at Spurs.

Igor Tudor suffered his fourth defeat in charge of Spurs this week as his side were beaten 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Spurs now turn their attention to the Premier League where they sit just a point above the relegation zone and play Liverpool at Anfield this Sunday.

Tudor’s position as interim manager is already under scrutiny but Rooney believes Spurs will be relegated from the Premier League this season, regardless of whether they sack the Croatian.

‘The players need to look at themselves because I think they’ve been an absolute disgrace,’ Rooney said on Stick to Football.

‘The performances, the attitude, the lack of desire, the lack of fight and there’s a lack of everything in them.

‘Last week I didn’t but after seeing what’s happened in the last couple of games I think they will go down.’

Gary Neville added: ‘I don’t think they will go down. I think if you’re going to make another change that, for me, probably needs to be today or tomorrow because you don’t wait.

‘My view is they will make a change and stay up just. That’s what I think will happen.’

Rooney replied: ‘I think they’ll go down.

‘That’s what I’m saying, if I’m Robbie Keane I wouldn’t leave a job to go into Tottenham now.

‘If it was Sherwood or whoever who is out of a job I’d go in, but if I’m Robbie Keane there’s no way I’d leave a job to go into Tottenham.’

Neville then said: ‘I don’t think that group of players will buy into the idea of bringing someone in who’s not been a coach for a long time just because they used to play for the club. They’ll just see right through that. It’ll have to be someone who’s been coaching recently.

‘Sean Dyche would take that job now, 100 per cent. To be in the game and have a chance to manage a top-six team, I know they’re not at the moment, I know it’s ridiculous saying that, but they are a massive club.

‘Tudor’s tried to go in a bit harder, be a bit more regimented and disciplined. It’s not working, they’re 100 per cent rejecting him. They will need someone to go in who’s got more of a man-management ability.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Man Utd’s Premier League run-in – Wes Brown predicts where points will be dropped

Arrow MORE: Bryan Mbeumo makes JJ Gabriel claim after training with Manchester United academy star

Arrow MORE: Man Utd eyeing £70m Premier League star after changing transfer stance

Source

Man Utd's Premier League run-in - Wes Brown predicts where points will be dropped

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Man Utd's Premier League run-in - Wes Brown predicts where points will be dropped - Metro.co.uk
Description

Manchester United have no other commitments other than their final nine games of the Premier League season.

Michael Carrick has guided them back into contention for Champions League qualification but the job is far from done.

Wes Brown knows better than most the demands placed upon a team at this stage of the season. The former United star gazes into his crystal ball to map out how the rest of the campaign unfolds.

Aston Villa (H)

This is the big game. Villa have been really struggling and they can't put opportunities away with their forwards out of form. I think United get the job done.

Verdict? Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa

Bournemouth (A)

A tricky one but I think we get the win down there.

Verdict? Bournemouth 0-2 Man Utd

Leeds (H)

I will go for a draw here. There is a long break between the two fixtures, both teams will be fresh but I just have a feeling about this one.

Verdict? Man Utd 1-1 Leeds

Chelsea (A)

This is the one. On their day, Chelsea play well and can beat you, even with 10 men. But if we have momentum going into that, the pressure is all on Chelsea at home. They are getting results but the crowd there aren't too happy, are they. They are not consistent.

Verdict? Chelsea 2-3 Man Utd

Brentford (H)

Another tricky game but but United will win here.

Verdict? Man Utd 1-0 Brentford

Liverpool (H)

Tricky, of course. Both will be scrapping for that top five and I think it will be a very tough game. Liverpool might still be fighting in the FA Cup and Champions League. But it will be tough.

Verdict? Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool

Sunderland (A)

United have a good record at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland have shown how hard they can make it so it will be hard but I fancy United to nick it.

Verdict? Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd

Nottingham Forest (H)

If Forest need something, it will be tough. But a defeat could send them down. I predicted them to go down at the beginning of the season so this should be all three points in the last home game of the season.

Verdict? Man Utd.2-0 Nottingham Forest

Brighton (A)

Could things be wrapped up by then? I'm not sure. Brighton away is always difficult so I think it's a draw to see out the season.

Source

Liverpool tipped to sign Tottenham star 'on the cheap' if Spurs go down

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Liverpool tipped to sign Tottenham star 'on the cheap' if Spurs go down - Metro.co.uk
Description

Liverpool have been tipped to raid Tottenham for one of their best players if Spurs are relegated from the Premier League.

Tottenham are just 16th in the table ahead of Sunday’s clash against Liverpool at Anfield, one point above the dreaded drop zone.

Spurs have underwhelmed all season and the team’s dismal form cost Thomas Frank his job after just eight months in charge.

Igor Tudor was appointed as Tottenham interim manager until the end of the season but the north London side have lost four successive games since the Croatian took over.

Spurs’ embarrassing season reached its nadir on Wednesday night as they suffered a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

Atletico were 3-0 up inside 15 minutes and Antonin Kinsky, who started ahead of No. 1 Guglielmo Vicario, was then hooked by manager Tudor.

Now all but out of the Champions League, Tottenham can focus their efforts on avoiding relegation to the Championship with nine league games remaining.

Dropping down a division would not only be humiliating for Spurs, who were competing in a Champions League final not so long ago, and a huge blow financially, but would lead to a mass exodus of talent.

Micky van de Ven would be one of the more obvious departees given his status as one of the best defenders in Europe and Jason McAteer believes his former club Liverpool could sign him on the cheap.

Van de Ven, who joined Spurs in 2023 in a £43m move from Wolfsburg, has been tentatively linked with a move to Anfield given Liverpool’s need for defensive reinforcements.

The reigning Premier League champions came agonisingly close to signing Marc Guehi last summer and then saw the former Crystal Palace captain complete a January move to Manchester City.

Asked whether he can see Liverpool making a move for Van de Ven, McAteer said on the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: ‘It looks that way.

‘They missed out on Marc Guehi in the summer, and I was a little bit surprised that they let it go to the winter window to try and do the business.

‘You always bring competition in then; other teams are looking for players in that position, and City have got there before Liverpool. I think they missed out on one there.

‘Leoni came in at the start of the season; obviously, he picked up the really bad injury, which has set him back, and we brought in Jacquet as well.

‘I know he’s not coming until next season, but he is quality, and they have spent a lot of money on him. He will be looking at playing in the team, but they do need another centre-half.

‘There are a couple out there, but Micky van de Ven seems to be [on the market].

‘It will be interesting to see how it develops at Tottenham because if they do go down, they will be looking to offload players, and Liverpool might nick him for a little bit cheaper.’

Ex-Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood also believes Van de Ven would be a suitable target for Liverpool.

‘I think he’s the obvious choice on that left side, there aren’t many of those about,’ he added.

‘There is one other, Jarrad Branthwaite, but he ain’t going to Liverpool, so it opens up the door there for Micky to go in there as a Liverpool player.

‘I think he’d do well for them, I really do; he’s got all the attributes to be a top-drawer player.

‘I don’t think he’s the finished article; he still needs to develop, but he needs to play with someone like Virgil van Dijk.

‘Those experienced, good players he can look up to because he’s not the leader we think he is at the moment, and I think he needs to be shown how to lead.

‘It’s a learning curve, and he’s still learning, but it’s a good option.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Jamie O’Hara names his top two choices to replace Igor Tudor at Tottenham

Arrow MORE: Mikel Arteta reveals Xabi Alonso convinced him to sign £45m Arsenal star

Arrow MORE: Enzo Fernandez stance on Chelsea transfer as PSG make contact with £107m star

Source

Antonin Kinsky’s stance on Tottenham future after horror show

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Antonin Kinsky's stance on Tottenham future after horror show - Metro.co.uk
Description

Antonin Kinsky will look to secure a temporary escape route out of Tottenham after his wretched display in the side’s 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

The 22-year-old produced the horror show of all horror shows in Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg, gifting Atleti two of their three opening goals through Marcos Llorente and Julian Alvarez with a pair of calamitous mistakes.

Igor Tudor had sprung a surprise by naming Kinsky in his starting XI, a bizarre decision that had fans scratching their heads given young Czech had made only two appearances al season prior to the match.

But Tudor hooked Kinsky in the immediate aftermath of Alvarez’s 17th-minute strike, with Guglielmo Vicario – who had been expected to start – seeing out the remainder of the round-of-16 contest.

While goals Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke made the scoreline look a little less ugly from Spurs’ perspective, the north Londoners have given themselves a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg.

But before the focus returns to next Wednesday’s contest, Tudor’s men must first revert their attentions back to Premier League survival and their upcoming trip to Liverpool.

Vicario will be expected to start at Anfield barring injury. As for Kinsky, his confidence will surely be in tatters and it appears unlikely that he will be thrown in at the deep end again before the end of the campaign.

According to The Telegraph, Kinsky will be expected to actively seek a loan move away from the Tottenham in the hope of resurrecting his career in the summer.

Should his wish be granted, there is a strong possibility that Spurs may find themselves needing two new goalkeepers, given Vicario’s future is also in serious doubt.

It’s claimed Kinsky had been keen to leave Tottenham on a temporary basis in each of the last two transfer windows with a view to securing regular first-team minutes – but his request was denied on both occasions.

However, report claims Spurs are ‘unlikely to stand in the way’ of the former Slavia Prague shot-stopper this time around.

Kinsky’s current contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium runs through to June 2029.

Asked if he had made an incorrect call in starting Kinsky versus Atleti, Tudor told TNT Sports: ‘After seeing what happened, for sure it was the wrong decision.

‘But it was, for me, the right decision to do, thinking before, because the team changed competition and it was, in the moment, right to do.

‘Unfortunately, what happened happened. I’ve never changed my goalkeeper after 14 minutes. It’s not easy, it happened.’

Tudor has been heavily criticised by fans and pundits alike for refusing to acknowledge or put a consoling arm around Kinsky as the ‘keeper made his way towards the tunnel.

‘No, it’s moments like this we don’t need to comment. It’s not a moment to speak too much,’ Tudor replied when asked about his emotionless reaction.

‘Strange game, very strange game. We gave them three goals afterwards we started good.

‘But then problems killed us in three situations. Very, very, very strange so it took our confidence.

‘Then we start, we made opportunities to make it 4-2 and then we conceded the goal for 5-2.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Liverpool tipped to sign Tottenham star ‘on the cheap’ if Spurs are relegated

Arrow MORE: Tottenham stance on sacking Igor Tudor revealed after Atletico Madrid defeat

Arrow MORE: Jamie O’Hara names his top two choices to replace Igor Tudor at Tottenham

Source

Tottenham stance on sacking interim manager Igor Tudor revealed after woeful defeat

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Tottenham stance on sacking interim manager Igor Tudor revealed after woeful defeat - Metro.co.uk
Description

Tottenham have no immediate plans to sack interim manager Igor Tudor, despite Thursday night’s catastrophic defeat against Crystal Palace.

Spurs sacked Thomas Frank last month and installed Tudor as their interim boss amid fears they were getting sucked into a relegation scrap.

Those concerns have been vindicated with the north London club now just a solitary point outside the drop zone following the 3-1 loss against Palace.

With Nottingham Forest and WestHam gaining ground in midweek the situation has developed into a full-blown crisis, especially given the new manager bounce Spurs were hoping to gain from Tudor’s arrival has failed to materialise.

Despite the desperate plight and calls for an immediate change in the dugout, Tudor appears likely to remain in his position for now ahead of next week’s daunting trip to Anfield, according to talkSPORT.

The former Juventus and Lazio manager will need to see an immediate improvement if he is to remain in a job, let alone save Spurs from the drop.

Asked if he expected the Spurs hierarchy to let him carry on following Thursday’s latest disaster, Tudor responded: ‘I don’t think in that direction. I have my job to do and that’s all.

‘Of course I understand the fans. It’s a normal thing that happens in football. They are disappointed. They wanted more. We are aware of that.

‘We also wanted to give more. Unfortunately this is the moment that we pay everything. One red card change everything

‘I will tell you now maybe it will sound strange, but I believe more after this game than I believed before. I saw something.

‘I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I want to go and needs to go and who is in the boat can stay. Otherwise they can bow down, or how do you say that, leave the boat.

‘So, when the other players will come back and choosing the right (players), I’m sure we will have a good team and the victories will come back. It’s not easy to accept the moment where we are now but it is how it is.’

Despite his confidence, the Telegraph reports that Spurs are considering a second change of management in the space of a matter of weeks.

The likes of Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood, who both enjoyed spells at the helm a decade ago, have been mooted and the decision will ultimately fall with under-fire chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.

Asked if he would return to Tottenham if they approached him, Redknapp said: ‘Of course I would have to, wouldn’t I? But it’s not going to happen.

‘No, I can’t see that happening. I think I’ll be at Cheltenham on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

‘Wednesday I’ve got a runner, Taurus Bay, he runs in the first race on Wednesday. He’s got a chance, a 20/1 shot, it’s an open race but he’s got a shot.’

Arrow MORE: Gabriel hits back at Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler’s claim ‘Arsenal make their own rules’

Arrow MORE: Arsenal named as ‘most likely destination’ for £55m Newcastle star in summer transfer window

Arrow MORE: Man Utd told ‘crazy talented’ wonderkid can play for them next season

Source

Premier League take action after posting tweet mocking Tottenham

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Premier League take action after posting tweet mocking Tottenham - Metro.co.uk
Description

Even the official Premier League X account is mocking Tottenham who remain mired in a relegation battle following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat against Fulham.

Spurs missed the opportunity to put some distance between themselves and fellow strugglers West Ham and Nottingham Forest, who also slipped to defeats over the course of the weekend, and delivered another insipid performance.

Igor Tudor’s side remain four points outside of the drop zone after they failed to recover from two first half goals scored by Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi.

Richarlison halved the deficit with more than 25 minutes remaining, but Spurs rarely threatened an equaliser and were condemned to a 13th defeat of a miserable campaign.

After the game, the Premier League’s official account appeared to delight in the north London club’s continued struggles by posting a clip of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario aimlessly hoofing a free-kick out for a goal kick with none of his teammates in sight.

The post, which has now been deleted, was accompanied by a caption which read ‘Just how the play was drawn up’ much to the consternation of Tottenham staff who, according to the Daily Mail, complained to Premier League staff.

Tudor, meanwhile, defended his tactical tweaks after a second successive London derby defeat, but promised to find a winning formula for his faltering group.

Injury-hit Spurs are without a victory in 10 Premier League matches, which has equalled a club record set back in the 1993-94 campaign.

Tottenham were second-best for an hour at Craven Cottage and while a triple substitution by Tudor sparked a late rally, it was too little, too late. The Croatian had moved away from his favoured 3-4-2-1 system to a flat back-four formation against Fulham.

Pushed to explain why he made that decision, Tudor insisted: “It’s not about system. System is not important at this moment. The last thing that is important is the system.”

Tottenham were without 10 players for this London derby with captain Cristian Romero still suspended and multiple key individuals like Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined.

Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso returned from injury to feature at Fulham, but Spurs are not set to get anyone back for Thursday’s crunch fixture at home to Crystal Palace.

At a time when Tottenham are low on options and short of goals, the midweek return of Europa League hero Brennan Johnson, who was sold for £35million at the start of January, will be a painful reminder of the club’s poor winter transfer window business.

‘The situation was complicated because we know how many players (are out),’ Tudor reflected.

‘Now the players are coming back. One thing is when you have a complete team then you can choose. One situation is when you cannot choose, you know, because you need to choose the quality to score the goal.

‘You need to have quality players to score the goal otherwise you cannot defend all the time, but when you are in a bad moment, you put the players, but then you lack defending and running and winning the duels.

‘So, what to do? That’s the big question in the future to choose what is right for this team. To find a formula of what we want to be and what we can be in this moment.

‘That’s very difficult to understand, that’s the thing. To understand because you have the quality, but also football is a sport of running and duels.

‘I have a sensation that Fulham players were always running and even with the brain. They arrive before us, they predict and we are always late on everything. That’s the problem.’

Arrow MORE: Erling Haaland injury update issued by Pep Guardiola ahead of Man City vs Nottingham Forest

Arrow MORE: Alan Shearer makes Arsenal title claim after win over Chelsea

Arrow MORE: Gary Neville predicts where Manchester United and Chelsea will finish this season

Source

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Arsenal vs Chelsea: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news - Metro.co.uk
Description

Arsenal hope to have an almost fully-fit squad available for their Premier League clash with Chelsea today.

Following the thumping derby victory over Tottenham, Mikel Arteta and his squad had a rare week off from games to rest and recover ahead of the visit of the Blues.

Bukayo Saka started on Sunday but was forced off in injury time after a tangle with Xavi Simons. The England international required some treatment before gingerly leaving the pitch.

Arteta did not mention any specific injury for Saka after the game, nor did he mention the winger when asked for an injury update in his pre-match press conference on Friday, suggesting he is available.

Martin Odegaard also made his return from a latest knock off the bench in north London and will be hoping to regain his place in the side.

Kai Havertz’s latest injury setback was not thought to be serious but it did rule him out of the squad last weekend. The Germany international is in contention to return to the squad for the visit of Liam Rosenior’s side.

That is also the case for Ben White, another who missed the derby after picking up a ‘niggle’ in training.

Mikel Merino meanwhile could have no further role to play this season after undergoing foot surgery earlier this month.

Chelsea will have their captain Reece James available for the trip across the capital.

The right-back came off late on against Burnley, the first time he has started a league match since the win over Crystal Palace on 25 January, but Rosenior eased any fresh injury fears over his skipper later that afternoon.

Marc Cucurella has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and will miss out again today. Both Jorrel Hato and Malo Gusto have filled in during his absence with both in contention to fill the void at left-back again at the Emirates.

Estevao Willan was another who missed out last week and will miss out again today.

Wesley Fofana meanwhile will sit the game out after he became the latest Chelsea player to see red against Burnley.

Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill remain absent.

Arsenal XI to face Chelsea – Metro prediction

Arteta’s biggest dilemma will be to stick with Eze or restore Odegaard to his midfield.

The battle in the middle of the park against Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos may suit the skipper more, but can the manager drop Eze after two goals against Spurs?

Chelsea XI to face Arsenal – Metro prediction

With Cucurella out and Fofana suspended, Rosenior will be without half his regular back four. Tosin Adarabioyo is in line to replace the Frenchman at centre-half while Gusto’s experience may see him given the nod at left-back.

Arsenal vs Chelsea TV channel, live stream and kick-off time

Arsenal vs Chelsea kicks off at 4:30pm today.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

Arrow MORE: Man Utd vs Crystal Palace: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news

Arrow MORE: Owen Hargreaves names Man City ‘advantage’ over Arsenal in Premier League title race

Arrow MORE: Owen Hargreaves tips £69m Liverpool signing to become ‘the best in the world’

Source

Are Tottenham 'too good' to be relegated?

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Are Tottenham 'too good' to be relegated or should they plan for the Championship? - Metro.co.uk
Description

In case you’ve been living under a massive rock, Tottenham Hotspur are in genuine danger of being relegated from the Premier League.

No league wins in 2026, an ever-expanding injury list, no real identity and anger in the stands. None of this points towards a happy ending.

New manager Igor Tudor was quick to channel the spirit of his good friend and former Spurs boss Antonio Conte in the aftermath of the chastening defeat to Arsenal last weekend.

‘Where is the goal of this club?’ he asked, ‘Where is the goal of this team?’

Given he’s not expected to stick around past the end of the season, the answer for now should just be: ‘To not get relegated, mate.’

To be fair to the Croatian, he was asked what Spurs need to do to get out of this situation, and ‘having a goal to work towards’ is decent advice for a club that has looked rudderless for a while now.

Ange Postecolgou accused the owners of lacking ambition in a recent interview on The Overlap, and both Aston Villa and Newcastle now offer players higher wages than Spurs.

In the Premier League you tend to get what you pay for, and while they’ve spent big in terms of transfer fees, a restrictive wage structure has stopped them from taking that extra step to consistently finish in the upper echelons of the table.

Do Spurs have ‘too much quality’ to go down?

Former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy said as much on Talksport this week: ‘My gut feeling says that they’ve got too much quality. It doesn’t mean that it can’t happen but I’d say no, looking at their fixtures there are some games there that I’d expect them to pick up enough points so I think they’ll be OK – just.’

Will they? Sure, the likes of Conor Gallagher and Xavi Simons aren’t players you’d normally associate with a team that goes down but can any of us really say, with confidence, that Spurs have too much quality?

What about West Ham? They’ve been awful this season but have looked good in recent weeks and have a talismanic figure in Jarrod Bowen who, along with Crysencio Summerville, looks to have made it his only mission on Earth to drag them out of the bottom three.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have the likes of Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White in midfield and a settled side that – lest we forget – finished 7th last season.

Take Spurs’ injuries away and yes, their players are too good to go down, but we don’t live in that world.

The reality is that Spurs’ best fit player also happens to be their captain Cristian Romero, whose tendency to lose his head and get sent off has already cost them points this season, and who won’t return from his latest suspension for another two games.

When are Tottenham's injured players expected back?

James Maddison – cruciate ligament tear. Next season.

Dejan Kulusevski – knee problem. Mid-March.

Mohammed Kudus – hamstring. April.

Rodrigo Bentancur – hamstring. April.

Wilson Odobert – cruciate ligament tear. Next season.

Pedro Porro – hamstring. Next game.

Kevin Danso – toe. Next game.

Destiny Udogie – hamstring. Mid-March.

Ben Davies – broken ankle. Next season.

Lucas Bergvall – ankle. April.

Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso could be back in the side this weekend which, given Tudor’s preference to play a three-man defence with wingbacks, would strengthen them significantly after Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha played out of position in the north London derby.

What do Tottenham need to stay up?

It’s not over until it’s over. While a four point gap is nothing for clubs at the top of the table, it’s a lot for West Ham – who also have a massive goal difference deficit – to turn around. One thing’s for certain: Spurs need to find a win from somewhere, anywhere. Sunday’s trip to a Fulham side with European ambitions of their own would be a great place to start.

Looking at their fixtures, the real key for Tudor will be fixing Spurs’ awful home form. Since the start of 2025, they’ve won just four home games in the league. That’s four wins in 23.

There are home games to come against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Leeds United and Everton. In a normal season you’d expect a couple of wins at the very least here, but given the toxic atmosphere around the Tottenham Stadium this season, it can be hard to picture what a home Spurs win looks like.

More Trending

Away from home, their record is comparatively good: five wins, four draws and four losses. The only problem is they have a pretty tricky set of away games left, against Fulham, Liverpool, Sunderland, Wolves, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

It’s easy to make the argument that they’ll struggle in nearly all of those games, but two wins and a few draws would probably be enough to just about steer clear of the disaster that would be a relegation.

Postecolgou’s Spurs finished 17th on 38 points last season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if things looked the same after the next 11 games.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arrow MORE: Ray Parlour predicts Arsenal’s title run-in – and the games where points could be dropped

Arrow MORE: Man Utd and Chelsea told to consider signing £46m former Liverpool star

Arrow MORE: Jesse Lingard ‘in advanced talks’ to join former Manchester United teammate at new club

Source

Gary Neville responds to angry Arsenal fans after Tottenham commentary

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Gary Neville responds to angry Arsenal fans after Tottenham commentary - Metro.co.uk
Description

Gary Neville has hit back at ‘pissed off’ Arsenal fans who have accused the Manchester United legend of wanting the Gunners to fall short in their Premier League title bid.

The former England international took his usual place on the gantry for Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham with Arsenal thumping their arch-rivals 4-1 for the second time this season.

The game was level at half-time after the Gunners conceded less than a minute after Eberechi Eze’s opener with Declan Rice at fault.

Viktor Gyokeres restored Arsenal’s lead two minutes into the second-half, with Neville urging Mikel Arteta’s side to not ‘over celebrate’ and ‘get back and concentrate on your job.’

Neville’s comments left Arsenal fans on social media rather bemused given the significance of the derby, having also been criticised for his reaction to Manchester City’s stunning fightback against Liverpool earlier this month.

Gunners legend Ian Wright explained on the latest episode of The Overlap he has to defend his pal from accusations he has played down Arsenal’s big moments while in the commentary box.

‘When you listen to Arsenal fans and what they say about Gary, that Gary is desperate for a title challenge, going on about Arsenal at the time,’ Wright said.

‘I had to protect him! Because if City are doing well Nev still wants a title challenge. Don’t dig out my mate! Just because when Arsenal score [Neville says] “oh, good goal from Arsenal”. Then when someone else scores, it’s “oh what a finish!”’

Looking back to City’s win at Liverpool, Neville reiterated how big a moment that was in the title race – reminding Arsenal fans they went onto drop points in their next two games against Brentford and Wolves having also joked about ‘paranoia’ among the fan base.

And the United legend again insisted he is backing the Londoners to get over the line.

‘I think Arsenal will win it,’ Neville said.

‘Arsenal fans are pissed off with me because a couple of weeks ago when City scored two in the last 10 minutes at Anfield, they thought I was over celebrating.

‘That was big, and by the way, Arsenal wobbled a bit a couple of days after, so let’s be clear, it was big.’

Neville’s former United teammate Paul Scholes interjected to ask if he would rather Arsenal win the league ahead of City, responding: ‘Of course I would! But everyone wants to see a race. Why would I not want Arsenal to win the league?’

Arrow MORE: Sami Khedira snubs Arsenal when naming his favourite to win Champions League

Arrow MORE: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink makes grim Arsenal prediction for Chelsea clash

Arrow MORE: Man Utd legends Paul Scholes and Roy Keane disagree over Arsenal vs Chelsea prediction

Source

Former Tottenham coach was asked to stay but left ‘pointless’ situation

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Former Tottenham coach was asked to stay but left 'pointless' situation - Metro.co.uk
Description

Tottenham asked John Heitinga to stay on as coach after Thomas Frank departed, but he left as he felt his situation was ‘pointless’ in north London.

The Dutchman was only appointed as a coach at Spurs in January, brought in to work under Thomas Frank after an unsuccessful spell in charge of Ajax.

His stay at Tottenham was very short, with Frank axed earlier this month after a string of poor performances and results.

Heitinga went with him, meaning he was a Spurs coach for just 32 days, leaving the club languishing in a relegation battle in the Premier League.

The former Netherlands international’s agent, Rob Jansen, claims that Tottenham wanted Heitinga to remain after Frank’s exit.

The coach even hoped he could step up to become manager, but the club decided he had not been around long enough to warrant that promotion.

Igor Tudor was brought in as interim manager, taking charge until the end of the season.

Jansen says Heitinga certainly had options to stay, but felt that working under a new manager, with new coaches, only for him to be replaced again at the end of the season, seemed pointless.

‘He was allowed to stay. They even asked him to stay,’ Jansen told the KieftJansenEgmondGijp podcast, via Sport Witness.

‘All other coaches, all Scandinavian, left. And after three weeks, they told him: “Please stay and see out your contract here.” That’s quite an achievement for someone who worked there for three weeks.

‘But he said: “Yes, but now Igor Tudor, a Croatian coach, is coming with a whole staff for three or four months”. That man is always hired for emergency jobs.

‘That almost never works. Why they did that is a mystery to me. And then another coach will come in. So, you can leave twice. That new coach will also come in with 45 people. He said, “This is pointless, Rob. I have to leave now”.’

On the possibility that Heitinga could have stepped up to become Spurs boss, Jansen said: ‘There was a chance he would take over; we had that in mind. Only: the club didn’t. After three weeks, they decided it was too soon. So, then you have an interim manager.

‘What does the management do, or in this case, the owners, the Lewis family? They opt for some kind of security. They hire someone with a track record, someone known as a crisis manager at struggling clubs for a few months.

‘That saves their image. Unless they dare to continue with Heitinga and a new staff, but they won’t.’

Tudor started his reign with a 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday and is back in action at Fulham this Sunday in the Premier League.

Arrow MORE: When is the Champions League draw and who can Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Spurs and Newcastle play?

Arrow MORE: John Terry speaks out on frustration over Chelsea job snub

Arrow MORE: Paul Scholes names Arsenal star he would ‘love to play with’ despite criticism

Source