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Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho returns to his old stomping ground this afternoon as his side look to continue their run of good form.

Spurs take on Manchester United at Old Trafford and go into this one on the back of a rather hectic week of fixtures.

It was only seven days ago that the north Londoners were involved in that controversial draw against Newcastle and since, they have defeated local rivals Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and advanced into the Europa League group stages after thrashing Maccabi on Thursday night.

But how might the Portuguese line up his side on his second return to the Red Devils? Here’s the XI we’re predicting…

Mourinho may well revert back to a different system. We know he likes to park the bus against the so-called ‘big six’ but with exciting wing-back signings this summer it could actually be a shrewd decision to go with a 3-4-3 of sorts.

It means Hugo Lloris returns between the sticks as captain and he could be protected by a back three of Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Davinsonz Sanchez, so there is no place for Toby Alderweireld, who drops to the bench.

Sergio Reguilon comes back in for Ben Davies on the left whilst Matt Doherty keeps his spot on the right.

The midfield pairing of Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also remains with Giovani Lo Celso playing slightly ahead.

Spurs’ £36m-rated maestro could be joined by Lucas Moura to play just behind the striker, which of course should be Harry Kane.

Therefore, Dele Alli has to settle for a place on the bench despite an impressive cameo in the Europa League – likewise, there is no starting place for Tanguy Ndombele or Moussa Sissoko.

AND in other news, Mourinho heading for unforgivable mistake over Spurs’ £64m “freak of a talent”…

Former Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott has commented on the pending sale of Bali Mumba to Norwich City, questioning the low transfer fee reportedly agreed by both clubs.

Premier League side Norwich are currently fighting for their top-flight status as they sit bottom of the division at present, but that has not stopped the Canaries from already agreeing a summer transfer.

Football Insider were among the first to claim that Norwich were interested in making a move for Mumba, who has been impressing for Sunderland’s youth sides.

The 18-year-old is thought to be one of the top talents at the Academy of Light, having made a step up to the first team on 10 occasions.

Initial reports from Football Insider were followed byÂthe Sunderland Echo, who claimed that an initial transfer fee of £500,000 had been agreed, but it is now claimed that the figure has dropped to £350k.

Touching on the reduction, former Black Cats striker Elliott seemed baffled by the club’s decision to allow the young talent to leave for a lesser amount.

Further to the news of an agreed deal, it was also reported by Sky Sports that Mumba had agreed a three-year deal with Norwich.

Elliott has hit the nail on the head with just a short statement. Sunderland do not seem to care about the club’s young players anymore and Mumba’s exit is just another in a long line of talented youngsters to leave.

If Mumba goes on to become a top player in English football, Sunderland will only have themselves to blame and if, like Elliott alluded to, no clause has been added, then more fool the Black Cats.

Do you think Sunderland should have asked for more for Mumba? Let us know in the comments section below…

Current Sunderland owner Stewart Donald has left the door open for Sammy Yu and Mark Campbell to make takeover bids.

Back in April 2018, Donald arrived as the club’s new ownerafter taking over from Ellis Short but, just 19 months into the businessman’s tenure, he made public his desire to sell the club.

With Sunderland missing out on the chance of promotion from League One for a second successive season, there have been calls from some fans for Donald to sell up.

Sammy Yu and Mark Campbell have both been credited with takeover interest over the last few weeks, although the former claimed that Donald had failed to acknowledge attempts to contact him regarding the matter.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle as quoted by Sunderland Echo, Donald spoke about a potential bid arriving and revealed how talks went with Campbell.

“The fans have asked me to leave, and whether it’s Mark Campbell or somebody else,” he said.

“If somebody passes the EFL [tests], has the funds and has the vision… I’m not quite sure what the fans want me to do.”

Donald was speaking after he met with fans on Thursday to discuss the sale of the club and other pressing matters.

It seems that, if either Yu or Campbell have the necessary funds, then Donald will welcome a bid – so why has it taken this long?

Something does not seem right at the moment and it appears that the current Black Cats owner is holding out for a bid that will guarantee getting his money back on his initial investment.

Donald says that he does not know what fans want, but it seems quite clear they want a new owner to come in and for things to change as quickly as possible.

Who do you think has a better chance of taking over Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…

Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has claimed that the Newcastle United takeover is ‘pretty much’ at the final stage in a recent podcast appearance.

The northeast reporter was in conversation with former Magpies defender Steve Howey and gave the following update:

“In terms of the takeover going through, we’re pretty much at the final knockings. A lot of spade work has been done, certainly in the last two months, but even more so in the last couple of years.

“It’s been with the Premier League for a number of weeks now [for an owners’ and directors’ test] but that can happen, it can take weeks, it can take months. With the current pandemic we’ve got I think that makes it even more difficult to work out when we’ll have a resolution to this.”

It seems as if the only thing standing in the way of Newcastle being taken over is the decision from the Premier League, which has understandably taken a little longer than expected as they try to battle the pandemic as well as finding a resolution for ‘Project Restart’.

Has life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will take 80% of the club with Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers taking 10% apiece. Although, it is thought that Staveley will be the face of the board.

The deal is reportedly worth £300m and a deposit around £17m has already been paid into Mike Ashley’s bank account.

AND in other news, Lee Ryder claim on Mike Ashley amid Newcastle takeover…

Noel Whelan insists Tottenham Hotspur should sell Tanguy Ndombele this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker believes Ndombele has “done nothing” ever since he arrived in north London.

Daniel Levy has made it clear the Spurs star will not be sold in the summer, and his stance remains unchanged, even though the board feel he is attempting to force his way out of the club.

Ndombele, who is the club’s record signing, has struggled to settle down this season.

Jose Mourinho claimed he is happy with the the Frenchman’s work ethic, as the pair made the headlines for breaking government guidelines to train together during lockdown, but he hasn’t featured in the two games following the Premier League restart.

Mourinho was again forced to deny reports of a rift after he failed to make an appearance against West Ham.

Whelan believes Ndombele doesn’t have the right attitude to succeed at Spurs and suggested the board should cut their losses instead. The pundit told assistant editor Russell Edge “Look, I don’t like these sort of players, they need to be sold. He’s done nothing since he came to Tottenham, quite frankly.

“He had that debut where he scored a goal but after that, clearly, he doesn’t have the work rate that Jose Mourinho or the Premier League demands to become a special player.

“It’s different in France when you’re playing there, it’s a different style and different pace – not as good players there so you can stand out. Does he stand out in the Tottenham side in every game that he plays? Not really.

“There’s certain things that you demand and the first thing you look for is character and can you fit into a squad? You’ve just gone and seen Liverpool win the championship with a tight-knit group, they’re all friends, they all work hard, in the midfield area there’s not one that doesn’t put themselves about.

“Now he’s shown he can’t do that and with those sort of players in the side, you’re not going to challenge for the Premier League title.”

It is difficult to disagree with Whelan on this one, as Ndombele wants to leave Tottenham amid interest from Barcelona.

The Frenchman has struggled for consistency so far, as he has played 19 games in the Premier League this season, scoring 2 goals, providing 2 assists, averaging fewer than one shot and one key pass per game via WhoScored.

Clubs are facing financial pressure from the pandemic and both clubs are operating on a tight budget. Barca are reportedly only interested in a swap deal involving Nelson Semedo or Philippe Coutinho as a result.

Mourinho is eager to sign Coutinho in the summer, as he moaned about the lack of creative options in the game against Manchester United.

Spurs have been working towards sorting out a loan move for the Brazilian playmaker. The Portuguese could solve both problems by replacing Ndombele with Coutinho. While he has failed to find the form he enjoyed with Liverpool, he is still a world-class player.

Although Levy would be looking to recoup some of the costs he spent on the midfielder, Mourinho may decide to ditch the troublemaker if he continues to cause disruption.

The pair share a strained relationship, which has grown increasingly tenuous in recent weeks, and a trade may be best for everyone involved.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Tanguy Ndombele another chance? Let us know down below!

Sheffield Wednesday succumbed to defeat on Saturday afternoon following their return to Championship action.

Garry Monk’s side were defeated 2-1 by league leaders West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, meaning it is now a run of four straight matches without a win.

The Owls were shot down late on when substitute Charlie Austin fired home an 88th-minute penalty, giving the league leaders all three points.

Wednesday must have thought they were on track for at least a share of the points after Steven Fletcher scored from the spot himself just before the hour mark having cancelled out Hal Robson-Kanu’s first-half opener.

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Fernando Forestieri, who made an impact off the bench last time out, failed to feature against the Baggies despite being named on the bench.

Instead, Monk turned to Atdhe Nuhiu when looking for an equaliser, but much of the travelling support have been left baffled by such a decision.

One fan couldn’t believe that the 29-year-old is unable to get a game ahead of Newcastle United loanee Jacob Murphy while another wondered what Forestieri had done to his boss to warrant his continual exclusion.

A further member of the Hillsborough faithful claimed that the Italian has been ‘criminally underused’ with one more sarcastically told Monk to play their best player, Forestieri.

Here’s the best of the reaction…

2018 Love Island star Dr Alex George has become the latest person to lambaste Tottenham Hotspur on Twitter following their decision to place their 550 non-playing staff onto the Government’s furlough scheme, saying they “should be ashamed of themselves”.

Spurs and key figures like Daniel Levy, Harry Kane, Jose Mourinho and Hugo Lloris have come under serious fire from journalists and talkSPORT pundits following the announcement on Tuesday, which will see those employees of the north London outfit earn 80% of their wages for April and May.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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Meanwhile, recent financial reports for last year have disclosed that chairman Levy earnt a £3m bonus on top of his £4m salary, while the club was also voted as the eighth richest in the world in the 2020 version of Deloitte’s football rich list.

As things stand, it appears as though the players are going to continue to be paid their full salaries, too.

Dr Alex was unlucky in love during his time on the 2018 version of Love Island, but he is on the frontline now given the current situation we are encountering in the United Kingdom right now.

In the circumstances, he has every right to be unhappy that Tottenham are taking advantage of a scheme designed to help those in need.

In other Tottenham news, Tanguy Ndombele has responded when asked if he prefers PSG or Barcelona, following recent exit links…

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 on his podcast for Sky Sports, Gary Neville has suggested there is now some cause for optimism for Manchester United after their recent run of good form.

What did he say?

After losing to Newcastle 1-0 before the beginning of the last international break, the Red Devils have earned some consistently good results. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have racked up five wins from their previous six games, and are up to seventh in the Premier League – nine points off fourth-placed Manchester City who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot.

And having seen his former side return to some decent form, Neville gave his take on some of the positives the Red Devils can take over the coming weeks and months.

He said: “Barring the Bournemouth defeat it’s been a really good month for United. The Bournemouth defeat was frustrating and took them back a few steps, but generally it’s been a better month than the one before.

“You can see real excitement with Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James, there is something there to work with. Defensively with Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, there is something there to work with, and the young boy Brandon Williams gives me a great deal of hope.

“Manchester United need four or five players of real quality and experience, and that’s probably not going to change in January to the tune fans would like. But there is something there. Patience is needed because it is going to take time, but they will get back because the cycle will turn.”

Cause for optimism

The 1-0 defeat to Newcastle over a month ago felt like a moment where United could have truly fallen into the mire. Reports immediately after the game claimed Solskjaer’s long-term future at the club was in question, but since then, they have been back to their fluid, attacking best.

Anthony Martial’s return from injury has coincided with multiple games now where they have scored more than one goal in a match, whilst against Brighton on Sunday afternoon, they fired 21 shots on goal. As Neville alludes to, there are some problems the club will have to address in the transfer market in the upcoming January window, but there are now clear signs they are heading in the right direction for progress to be made.

And in the seven players Neville name-checks, United do have the basis for a bright future. A group of young players who are yet to hit the peak years of their career, and a clear emphasis from their manager to play them.

Many Crystal Palace fans have discussed a rather disturbing statistic on Twitter about Christian Benteke.

The Belgian forward is still getting picked by his home country despite his poor form for the Eagles, which has been going on for quite some time, now.

After a Twitter page pointed out the striker has scored more in his last three games for Belgium than he has in his last two seasons for the red and blue in the Premier League – a rather worrying stat for all – fans were quick to respond.

His poor form at Selhurst Park has made Roy Hodgson’s patience wear thin. In fact, the number 17 has struggled to get into his starting team since the beginning of the season and has not started a league game since the club’s 2-0 loss to Sheffield United in the second game-week.

Jordan Ayew – bought for £2.5m during the summer window – has instead been favoured. He currently tops the charts for Palace at the top of the goalscoring list, having bagged four times.

Many fans discussed Benteke’s goal record, with a fairly mixed response. Some suggested it wasn’t surprising considering he’s played lesser opposition on the international stage, while another even blamed it on Hodgson.

Here are some of the replies below…

Palace fans, is Benteke’s Eagles scoring record down to him or the team? Let us know what you think!

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 at the club’s annual all-staff meeting, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has launched a stunning defence of the recruitment strategy in place at Old Trafford.

What did he say?

The Red Devils made just three permanent signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were linked with a whole host of other players, including the likes of Paulo Dybala and Christian Eriksen, but neither ended up joining before the end of the deadline.

The Manchester side have since come under criticism for their lack of replacements for the departed Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, and their miserable start to the current campaign has simply added to the scrutiny on the work being done off-the-pitch.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

However, Woodward vehemently defended the Red Devils’ approach to the transfer market, insisting they have the best available people working together.

He said (as quoted by BBC Sport): “There is a myth that we have non-football people making football decisions. I think that is insulting to the brilliant people who work on the football side in this club. We’ve expanded our recruitment department in recent years and we believe this now runs in an efficient and productive way.

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“Player recommendations and decisions are worked on by this department and by the first-team manager and his staff, not by senior management.”

Insulting

Attempting to defend his colleagues is understandable, but Woodward’s unbelievably brash attempts at insisting the club are making the right decisions when it comes to the transfer market is mind-boggling. The Red Devils left themselves short on attacking cover this summer, and it has already started to have a major detrimental effect to their side’s performances on the pitch – they have scored just nine times in eight Premier League games.

What is truly “insulting” is for Woodward to deflect the criticism away from himself, and onto nameless groups of individuals. The United chief showed no sign of holding his hand up for the club’s failures in recent years, and his latest comments have simply served to under-line why there is such a feeling of resentment towards him.