Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left disappointed after tickets for the club’s clash with Crystal Palace sold out almost immediately.
Spurs will face the Eagles in the first Premier League game at their new stadium, which opened on Sunday.
The first game held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as it is currently known, saw the club’s Under-18 side beat Southampton 3-1.
That was a test event and will be followed by another this weekend, with a team of Spurs legends taking on their Inter Milan counterparts.
Provided a safety certificate is granted – these test events are necessary to one being awarded – the first official top-flight game will come on Wednesday, April 3rd. A trip to Liverpool will come first at the end of this month.
It is unsurprising, then, that a host of Spurs fans attempted to buy tickets to be there for the clash against Roy Hodgson’s men.
But many were left disappointed after being placed in a queue, only to find that there were none left available.
And many took to Twitter to express their frustration. Take a look at the best of the reaction below!
Tottenham surely know they need to make significant improvements to their team this summer, something that would only be possible if Daniel Levy stumps up some funds.
As many will know, Tottenham have not spent a single penny in the last two transfer windows, instead opting to entrust their current options ahead of their thoroughly expensive stadium move.
There is no doubting their team right now because it’s full of top footballers but, if as a club, they want to make inroads into becoming proper title challengers, they need to add a lot more quality.
Quality will more often than not been a lot of money but Tottenham must pay these significant fees in a bid to improve their team.
As with most transfer windows, Tottenham have a number of players linked with a move away and once again Christian Eriksen is one of those.
If the worst case happens and he does leave the club, Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes would be the best player to replace him.
Fernandes, (who is valued at £27 million on Transfermarkt) is someone who could significantly bolster Tottenham’s creativity, especially if Christian Eriksen was to leave.
The Danish midfielder has been linked with both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the summer and that could leave Tottenham without their most creative player.
If, however, they manage to recruit Bruno Fernandes, all their worries could vanish. Once again, the 24-year-old has been immense out in Portugal and in his 39 appearances so far, the attacking-midfielder has scored 22 times as well as registering a further 11 assists.
With statistics like that, interest in Bruno Fernandes will be aplenty but Tottenham must race to the front of the cue – should Christian Eriksen leave.
West Ham United’s 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool at the London Stadium was a fantastic result for the east London club. However, the Hammers may be disappointed in its wake given they were the better team and probably deserved all three points.
The draw with the Reds was a continuation of the fine home record Manuel Pellegrini’s side have enjoyed against ‘big six’ opposition so far this season. Earlier in the campaign they’d also drawn with Chelsea and taken all three points against Arsenal and Manchester United.
For all their impressive work against the giants of English football though, the Irons currently find themselves in 12th place. Such a position is far from disastrous, but considering what this side have proven themselves to be capable of, it must be considered an underachievement.
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For every positive showing against big six opposition there have been limp defeats against the likes of Bournemouth, Wolves, Brighton, Watford and Burnley. That’s not to mention the FA Cup fourth round exit at the hands of League One strugglers AFC Wimbledon.
Considering West Ham spent £99million in the summer – the fifth highest amount of all top flight clubs – this failure to achieve consistency must be especially disappointing. The summer arrivals of the likes of Felipe Anderson, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, amongst others, along with the appointment of a former Premier League-winning manager in Pellegrini, ought to have yielded greater results by now, even with injury woes taken into account.
Being a West Ham fan this season must be far more fun than it has been in previous years, with plenty of fresh faces and high-profile wins to enjoy and get excited about. The mood in Stratford is certainly far better than at this point last season, when tensions were about to manifest themselves in mass protests inside and outside the stadium (and on the pitch).
This unrest may have sparked the club’s majority owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, into action in the summer. Their spending spree certainly suggests they were keen to appease the fanbase. However, they may now be feeling a level of vindication for their previous thriftiness.
£99million is a lot to spend for 12th place – in fact, it’s only one position better than the club’s final standing at the end of last season. Of course, things could improve between now and the end of the campaign, but as things stand they aren’t actually receiving a strong return on their investment.
Before the summer, West Ham could have been described as a stagnating club. They still are, or at least that is what their inconsistency suggests – their stagnation is simply being masked by a handful of good, high-profile results.
They certainly aren’t progressing smoothly. Until their strides forward aren’t immediately followed by an awkward stumble, Gold and Sullivan will continue to feel that their reluctant investments are failing to pay off.
Derbyshire 266 (Masters 5-51) and 173 for 7 (Durston 60, Craddock 4-66) drew with Essex 245 (Wainwright 4-64) and 294 for 5 dec (Westley 82, Foster 58*, ten Doeschate 52, Pettini 50) ScorecardEssex saw their slim chances of promotion all but wiped out while Derbyshire took another step towards Division One when they held out for a draw in a tense finale to the LV= County Championship match at Derby.The visitors set Derbyshire a target of 274 in a minimum of 58 overs but the home side’s chase faltered after leg spinner Tom Craddock struck twice in successive overs. Wes Durston, with 60, and Dan Redfern (46) put them back in the hunt with a stand of 107 in 23 overs but Craddock took two more wickets to leave the Division Two leaders to bat out the last hour.Nerves were jangling in the home camp at 163 for seven but former Essex bowler Tony Palladino joined Ross Whiteley and they dug in for 18 minutes to steer Derbyshire to 173 for seven before rain had the final say with six overs still to bowl.Essex had to give themselves the best part of two sessions to bowl Derbyshire out and although the home side set defensive fields, the runs flowed in the morning.Essex started the day with a lead of 64 and despite losing Owais Shah in the fourth over when his miscued drive gave Palladino his 50th Championship victim of the summer, Tom Westley and Mark Pettini soon had the scoreboard ticking over.Westley twice came down the track to drive seamer Tim Groenewald back over his head for four and had scored 82 off 95 balls when he was caught behind driving at a wide ball from Mark Turner.Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate added 56 in 10 overs, with the former Essex skipper completing his fifty off 54 balls before he pulled Ross Whiteley to deep midwicket. Essex had scored 158 runs before lunch and Ten Doeschate and James Foster scored at six an over to add 72, with the Holland all-rounder scoring 52 before he edged a drive at Turner.Foster drove David Wainwright for six to bring up his half-century off only 40 balls and then declared on 294 for 5 setting Derbyshire a target which always looked at least 25 too many.Wayne Madsen responded to the challenge by scoring 31 out of 42 in less than nine overs before he was lbw to a full-length ball from David Masters and when Craddock struck, the home side had some rebuilding to do. Paul Borrington and Usman Khawaja were both stumped coming down the pitch but Durston and Redfern found the right mixture of caution and aggression to get Derbyshire back on course.They added 107 in 23 overs but the game swung back to Essex when Redfern got a leading edge to mid-on and Craddock bowled Durston and Wainwright in the space of four balls.When Masters had Tom Poynton caught behind with 11 overs remaining, Essex sniffed victory but Whiteley and Palladino clung on for 5.2 overs to steer Derbyshire to 173 for 7 before the rain became too heavy.
ExWHUemployee has given a list of centre-midfielders who West Ham United are interested in, while speaking on The West Ham Way Podcast 165.
What’s the story?
Two new names who featured in this list are Ronaldo Vieira and Nahitan Nandez, from Sampdoria and Cagliari respectively.
The other midfielders that he mentioned were Franck Kessie, Sander Berge, Steven Nzonzi and Joe Allen, with the majority of these seemingly being loan targets.
He reiterated within the podcast that this is the priority position for the Hammers. That is understandable, as Carlos Sanchez is currently the main backup option to Mark Noble and Declan Rice, despite having played just 113 minutes of Premier League football this campaign.
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In desperate need
The Hammers are in dire need of a new midfielder, due to the aforementioned situation, so it is a positive sign that the net is being spread wide.
It was suggested that the interest in Nzonzi is “mild”, while Allen is also somebody who is low on the list of targets.
The direction seems to be that they are beginning to go for a younger player, with Vieira and Nandez 21 and 24 years old respectively.
However, it is not enough for the Hammers to simply be linked with these moves, it is integral that they actually go out and sign one of the targets if they are to get themselves in a safer position.
Call yourself a West Ham expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?
Vieira has shown that he can add defensive solidity, having averaged 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game this campaign.
Meanwhile, Nandez has one goal and three assists this term, while averaging 1.5 tackles, 0.7 clearances, 1 dribble and 1 key pass per match.
With just over a week left of the January transfer window, the Hammers will need to move quickly in order to wrap up whatever move they eventually commit to.
Meanwhile, one West Ham man has been slated by a pundit after his shenanigans against Everton.
West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react to Michail Antonio’s performance against Southampton, in which the former Nottingham Forest man excelled at right-back once again to help the Hammers come from behind to win 2-1.
The English forward has been deployed at right-back on a handful of occasions recently, and has notched a goal against Fulham and the assist for Felipe Anderson’s winner against the Saints from the right side of defence.
Fans of the east London club have noticed an upturn in the 28-year-old’s performances compared to those of last season, and with two goals and two assists in his nine Premier League starts this season, Antonio is looking more like his old self in claret and blue once again.
He was crucial yet again at St Mary’s on Thursday night, so let’s take a look at how the West Ham fans reacted to the versatile Antonio’s performance against the Saints…
Celtic scraped past Aberdeen on Saturday with a 1-0 win courtesy of substitute Scott Sinclair, with the three points taking them above arch rivals Rangers.
Frenchman Odsonne Edouard was injured by a high Scott McKenna challenge in the first-half that went unpunished by the referee Bobby Madden and Sinclair, who hasn’t been the most popular player among Celtic fans recently, was his replacement.
However, after the game Brendan Rodgers confirmed that it was just a dead leg for the summer signing Edouard and that he had a chance of being fit for the Europa League clash against Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday.
On the weekend though, Aberdeen peppered the Celtic goal but the 29-year-old Sinclair eventually opened the scoring just after the hour-mark with a fantastically inventive backheel, whereas James Forrest struggled to get into the game.
So, Celtic fans, presuming Edouard is fit to start on the left as he did against Aberdeen, would you start Sinclair or Forrest on the right-hand side? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
After a surprising season last year, Newcastle managed to finish 10th in the league but after a poor transfer window, it seems Newcastle could be in for a tough season.
Top of the list for Benitez this summer has been to find a goalscorer to lead the line to fill the shoes Aleksander Mitrovic, who is close to a move £20 million move to Fulham. With his departure, Newcastle will have no genuine threat up front as seen by their struggles going forward last season.
With Newcastle failing to strike a deal for a striker so far this summer, according to Bild, the club are now targeting Japan international Yoshinori Muto.
The Breakdown
According to the report, Newcastle will need to fend off from West Ham in the Japan international who impressed last season with Mainz.
With only a year left on his current deal, Mainz are ready to cash on Muto. The striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past but would be a poor move for Newcastle. While the Muto make come as a cheap cut-price deal – something Mike Ashley loves – the money just isn’t worth it.
He scored eight goals in 27 appearances for Mainz last year, hardly the record of a hotshot striker. Muto hasn’t had much experience of top-level football and although at 26, he is entering the prime of his career, the move just doesn’t make sense.
Newcastle need a striker who’s going to get close to at least 20 to keep them in the league, Muto isn’t that man to do that.
According to reports in The Mirror, West Bromwich Albion are said to be open to the idea of selling striker Salomon Rondon this summer if they receive any decent offers.
The Mirror says that the Baggies rejected a bid of £32.2m from Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian for the centre-forward during the January transfer window as they didn’t have enough attacking options, but they have already signed Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez this summer.
That deal could mean that Tony Pulis is ready to let the 27-year-old leave, and it is news that may have alerted West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic.
The Irons boss is keen to sign at least one new striker before the start of the new season with continued doubts over the fitness of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, and it would be a bonus if he was able to bring one in that has Premier League experience.
Rondon certainly ticks that box having spent two seasons in the English top flight, and he could be ready for a new challenge at this level.
Here are three reasons West Ham should make a move for Rondon…
Goals
Britain Soccer Football – Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion – Premier League – Emirates Stadium – 26/12/16 Arsenal’s Petr Cech saves a shot from West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon Reuters / Toby Melville Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representat
It can be hard to adapt to the Premier League when you are playing in it for the first time, but Rondon’s return of nine goals in 34 top flight matches in his debut season in England was relatively impressive.
The 27-year-old looked set to better that record last term after netting seven in the first-half of the campaign – including a hat-trick of headers against Swansea City – but he scored just once more after the speculation linking him with a move to China, and as West Brom’s strong early season form dropped off.
With all due respect to the Baggies, it isn’t the easiest club to play up top on your own at and Rondon has certainly done an admirable job of leading the line and doing his fair amount of chasing the ball in the last two years, and he would make an impact for West Ham.
Style of play
Britain Football Soccer – West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United – Premier League – The Hawthorns – 17/12/16 West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon clashes with Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones Action Images via Reuters / John Sibley Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publicat
If West Ham are looking for a tall and physical striker to potentially replace Carroll, then there won’t be many better or available options on the market than Rondon.
The 27-year-old has become used to battling with defenders, holding the ball up and bringing his teammates into play, and he won 101 aerial duels in 38 Premier League appearances last season.
However, he isn’t just a threat in the air and he has shown that he has some ability with his feet too by successfully completing 27 take-ons.
The Venezuela international would also prove to be useful from a defensive point of view for the Irons having made 40 clearances for the Baggies last term.
Price tag
Britain Football Soccer – West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City – Premier League – The Hawthorns – 14/12/16 West Brom’s Salomon Rondon celebrates scoring their second goal Reuters / Peter Nicholls Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for
With West Brom seemingly keen to sell Rondon having signed him on a £70,000-a-week deal for £12m two years ago, you would think that he could be purchased for under £20m this summer if he wants out.
That is certainly an affordable fee for the Irons as they look to strengthen their squad this summer, and as we alluded to previously the 27-year-old is probably a more realistic and affordable target than the likes of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and Bayer Leverkusen’s Javier Hernandez, while he should be entering the prime years of his career.
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic likely don’t need any reinforcements to the deliver the domestic success that they’re heading towards in the second half of the season. Nineteen points clear in the Scottish Premiership, their procession to the league title feels like a formality.
However, the January transfer window remains an important one with strengthening required ahead of summer qualifiers and the need to move players on who aren’t quite first team calibre anymore.
Rodgers has already done some business, signing Ivorian midfielder Kouassi Eboue from Russian side FC Krasnodar. He also signed Mikael Lustig up to a new deal which will see him stay at the club until 2019, with his previous contract due to run out this summer.
What other business should be done? Who should come in and who should go out? Here are THREE ins and THREE outs that Rodgers should consider before the end of the transfer window…
In: Henry Onyekuru
Henry Onyekuru is a 19 year old Nigerian forward who could provide the attacking depth that Celtic need going forward.
They have Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths but little beyond that and Onyekuru is player of quality who wouldn’t necessarily need to play week-in, week-out to continue his development.
The teenager has scored 12 goals in 25 appearances for Belgian side Eupen this term, showing he has the ability required to make an impact in the Scottish Premiership. He’s also scored six in his last 10 appearances meaning if he does move, the Bhoys are getting a player in form and ready to hit the ground running.
Heading into next year’s Champions League with just two effective strikers would give Hoops fans pause for thought, so whether it’s Onyekuru or another, Rodgers should be looking at attacking options sooner rather than later.
Out: Nadir Ciftci
Football Soccer – St Johnstone v Celtic – Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership – McDiarmid Park – 13/12/15 Nadir Ciftci celebrates with team mates after scoring the first goal for Celtic Action Images via Reuters / Graham Stuart Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact y
The former Dundee United man has never really settled into life at Celtic, often looking a step off the pace required to make it at the Bhoys.
Moving him on now is likely the best for all concerned. There is a talent there, it’s just not consistent enough to meet the high standards and demands of the Scottish Champions.
The Turkish striker has not made a single start under Brendan Rodgers and only two substitute appearances, with the last coming way, way back in July.
It makes no sense for him to hang around if either the club or his agents can find a new home for him.
In: Tosin Adarabioyo
Football Soccer – Bayern Munich v Manchester City – Pre Season Friendly – Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany – 20/7/16Manchester City’s Oluwatosin Adarabioyo in action with Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery Action Images via Reuters / Michaela RehleLivepic
Celtic are in the same unique position when it comes to Tosin Adarabioyo as they were when it came to the likes of Moussa Dembele and Joe Ledley.
Due to being a cross-border club in FIFA terms, the Bhoys wouldn’t be required to pay the stiff compensation fee for his signature to take him from Man City when his contract expires, unlike clubs in England.
That contract is up in the summer so now is the perfect time for the Hoops to get him signed on a pre-contract agreement and potentially even bring him to the club early.
A strong and powerful young central defender, Adarabioyo has in fact played against Celtic this season in the UEFA Champions League.
A move for him would provide excellent competition for the likes of Erik Sviatchenko and Jozo Simunovic. Likewise, Brendan Rodgers is an ideal manager for young players to work under given his track record of developing starlets such as Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge.
Out: Efe Ambrose
Like Nadir Ciftci, Efe Ambrose does not have a future at Celtic. He’s been at the club for years now but a catalogue of errors and poor performances have blighted the many good showings he’s had for the Hoops.
Faith in the defender is at an all time low in the Hoops support and a move away would likely suit all parties.
He hasn’t played for Celtic since the away draw against Astana last July, one of only two appearances under Brendan Rodgers.
He’ll likely always be a cult figure with the Celtic Park faithful due to his commitment and personality but in terms of a playing career, his time is up with the Bhoys.
In: Joe Gomez
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In European terms, Celtic’s playing budget is tiny compared to most of the other Group Stage teams. That means they have to be creative in terms of recruitment.
One experiment that has worked well over the last 12 months has been the long-term loan signing of Patrick Roberts. Roberts, who was unlikely to get much – if any – game time at Manchester City, moved to Celtic last January on an 18-month deal that will see him remain at Celtic until this summer.
A similar move for Liverpool’s Joe Gomez this January would likely be no bad thing for either clubs or the player himself. The young defender has just returned to full fitness after a year on the sidelines with a bad injury.
He recently featured in both of Liverpool’s FA Cup matches with Plymouth but is unlikely to be seeing any Premier League action soon.
Still just 19 years old, an 18-month loan to Celtic would let him continue his development under an excellent coach and also give him vital first team experience as cover or competition right across the Celtic backline.
Out: Dedryck Boyata
Football Soccer – East Kilbride v Celtic – William Hill Scottish FA Cup Fifth Round – Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie, Scotland – 7/2/16 Dedryck Boyata celebrates after Leigh Griffiths scored the first goal for Celtic Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player pub
Dedryck Boyata is another defender at Celtic who is unlikely to have a future at the club. A regular under Ronny Deila, he’s failed to make an impression on the first team this term, making just two starts for the Hoops.
The latest did come this past weekend in the Scottish Cup against Albion Rovers, but there’s little to take from his performance given it was against a part-time team.
That may offer a glimpse of a chance of a future under Rodgers but the likelihood is that moving him on is the best case scenario, especially if Celtic do business at the back and bring a defender in before the deadline.