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Jose Mourinho is wildly renowned as one of the most defensive coaches in English football.

A manager who turned Manchester United into a side that would often park the bus against the top teams, he’s failed to reinvigorate Tottenham’s backline.

Arriving at the club last November, that was one of the key aims for the Portuguese if he was to improve this Spurs team. However, in their first four matches under the Special One, they shipped eight goals.

In total under Mourinho, the north London outfit have conceded 33 times in just 22 matches. Jan Vertonghen left the pitch crying after a match earlier this season but he has at least tied Toby Alderweireld down to a new deal.

With Vertonghen set to leave the Tottenham Hotspur stadium when his contract comes to an end this summer, they will need reinforcements. Presumably, that’s why they’ve been linked with Chris Smalling.

According to Tuttosport, Spurs are targeting a move for the Manchester United man who is enjoying a career rejuvenation at Roma in Serie A.

Rated at £18m per Transfermarkt, the experienced Englishman would arrive in London with two stand out qualities.

In Italy this term, the 6 foot 4 colossus has been dribbled past just 0.1 times per game. If you compare that to Virgil van Dijk, a man who came second in the race for the Ballon d’Or, the great Dutchman has been dribbled past 0.2 times per game.

A big deal has been made out of the Liverpool defender’s ability to not be beaten by his man so this just goes to show how well Smalling has done in Italy. However, he’s also better than every Spurs man in a pivotal area.

The 30-year-old has been a true force in the air this season, winning 3.7 aerial duels per game in Serie A. Comparing that to the current Spurs team, no player has won more than 2.8 per match – a record held jointly by Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Harry Kane.

That shows just how big an influence Tottenham lack in that third of the game, an attribute that could prove key if Mourinho wants to finally fix Spurs’ leaky defence.

Smalling may have earned criticism in the English game, taking on board a damning assessment from Roy Keane in the past, but his newfound confidence in the Italian capital could be game-changing for a Spurs side who have witnessed somewhat of a decline this season.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

In one match this campaign, the centre-back won as many as nine aerial duels as Roma drew 1-1 with Cagliari. He then won seven in defeat against Lecce.

The defender may not be one of the most eye-catching signings, but Spurs must seal the deal for Smalling this summer.

In other news, Harry Kane has BACKED Spurs into a corner…

The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers has responded to the possibility of the club selling Adama Traore this summer, per the Molineux View podcast (March 3rd, 27:00).

What’s he said?

Traore has been in electric form this season, scoring six goals and registering 10 assists in all competitions this season, across 41 games.

He has played in all bar one of Wolves’ Premier League games this season, having been on the bench for the curtain-raiser against Leicester City.

He has been something of a big-game player, too, scoring three goals in two games against Manchester City – Wolves beat them home and away – while also netting against Spurs at Molineux.

Nevertheless, Spiers was asked about the prospect of him potentially leaving this summer, with the question raised of whether he would sell up for between £70m and £80m.

He replied: “That’s a good question. The thing about Traore is when I compare him to (Diogo) Jota, I think Jota’s got a higher ceiling.

“Has Traore got massive room for improvement? I’m not sure really.”

Probably right

Jota has been in exceptional form this season.

He has scored 10 goals and registered seven assists this term and, while Traore has a higher assist number, one has to think that the former Middlesbrough man is approaching his peak.

The Spaniard is 24, while Jota is 23, but he has such a specific skill-set that it feels as though it would be difficult for him to take the next step.

For true Wolves fans only: How much did each of these players cost?

He relies primarily on his incredible speed and his astonishing physique, whereas Jota is a more technical dribbler, who can play either up front or on the wing, hence Spiers claiming that he has a higher ceiling.

Of course, this is all hypothetical, but an £80m bid would surely be too good for Wolves to turn down this summer.

Meanwhile, Robbie Savage has hailed one aspect of Wolves’ rise!

Some Tottenham Hotspur fans have slammed Dele Alli after the club’s official Twitter page posted an appreciation tweet after he scored his 50th Premier League goal from the penalty sport away at Burnley on the weekend.

The English international started in a false-nine position again under Jose Mourinho due to their lack of fit strikers at the moment, with the list getting worse by the news that Steven Bergwijn has sustained an injury and will likely be out for the rest of the season. Indeed, that only really leaves Alli, Lucas Moura and youngster Troy Parrott as the only recognised players who could perhaps do a job for Mourinho in that striker role.

Alli took his penalty well and jokingly said in his post-match interview that he knew where Nick Pope was diving because of them training with the England national team together and duly placed his penalty in the opposite corner.

The former MK Dons youngster has now scored a total of nine goals and provided a further five assists in 34 appearances for the north London club in all competitions this season. In total, he has scored 62 goals and provided 54 assists in 218 games in all competitions in his career at Spurs since moving from his boyhood charges (stats via Transfermarkt).

Despite these impressive career stats, some Spurs fans have decided to slam the 23-year old midfielder on Twitter, with one fan even claiming that he has ‘already had his peak’:

Spurs fans has Alli really ‘had his peak’? Is he as ‘awful’ as some fans are making out? Let us know in the comments down below!

Liverpool midfielder Elijah Dixon-Bonner is surely knocking on the door of the club’s first-team.

Still just 18, he has been a key member of the club’s U23 squad, making the most appearances of anyone in the ranks, playing 16 times and making 14 starts, per FBref.

He has also made one appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s men, playing a single minute in the FA Cup win over Shrewsbury Town earlier this season. He was also on the bench for the EFL Cup defeat to Aston Villa.

An England youth international, he has been capped at U16 and U17 level, and has been integral to both Liverpool’s U18 side and the U23 side, as well as the UEFA U19 side, making a total of 81 appearances across all age groups, not including his senior bow.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

He did sustain an injury earlier this season but was hailed by Neil Critchley, the former U23 manager, who gave a rave review of his progress throughout the campaign.

Per Rousing the Kop, he said: “He has played a lot of games for us and done extremely well this season. He’s had a really good season, and I was hoping to see him push on in the back end.”

He captained the side to FA Youth Cup glory last season, even scoring the winning penalty in the final, and appears ready to make the step up in the coming months.

Dixon-Bonner has emerged as a key member of the U23 team and is perhaps the next player in line to follow in Curtis Jones’ footsteps and become a permanent member of the senior squad.

His injury recovery will be central to that but, if he comes through that well, there is no reason that he can’t go from strength to strength.

Meanwhile, Liverpool fans have reacted to some huge news about this midfielder!

According to football.london, Albian Ajeti is not likely to have much of a future at West Ham United.

The 23-year-old joined the Hammers last summer off the back of scoring 37 times in 75 appearances during his second spell with Basel.

The Switzerland international penned a four-year contract with the London club but has struggled to make his mark.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, the striker has only made 11 appearances for his English side, failing to score a single goal in the process.

According to football.london, the forward ‘doesn’t appear to have much of a future at London Stadium.

However, some of the club’s fans feel that Ajeti has been harshly treated.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

Not all of the West Ham supporters feel the same way, though, as one individual suggested that he was glad that Ajeti could be on his way out of the London Stadium.

Another fan said, seemingly sarcastically, that Ajeti “has been a huge success”, poking fun at some of the club’s recent transfer business.

Meanwhile, West Ham reportedly have one clear objective in this summer’s transfer window.

Manchester City have had several top strikers down the years.

Sergio Aguero is one that first springs to mind, but others such as Carlos Tevez, Gabriel Jesus and Alvaro Negredo have all had their days in the sun. Edin Dzeko is another who impressed during the four years he spent at the Etihad Stadium – he, though, just like Aguero, has a special place in the history of the Citizens.

Watch Manchester City Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here, we walk you through his career in Manchester through the help of five pictures.

Dzeko signs from Wolfsburg

It was the striker’s form for German outfit Wolfsburg that convinced City to sign him. Die Wolfe paid just £3.6m, as per Transfermarkt, for his services, but he would end up writing himself into the club’s history.

He ended up with 85 goals in 142 games for them, forming a stunning partnership with Grafite as they won the Bundesliga in 2008/09. When Roberto Mancini signed him for £27m, he will have been hoping for him to recreate that form in England.

Breaking his duck

Whilst he may have scored 11 goals in his last 19 games for Wolfsburg, he failed to hit the ground running in England.

He managed two strikes against Aris Saloniki in the Europa League, but he failed to net in any of his first nine Premier League games. Finally, though, against Blackburn Rovers, he scored, and it would prove to be vital as it was the only goal of the match – it was a huge three points in their quest for Champions League football.

Coming off the back of an FA Cup semi-final win against Manchester United, the feel-good factor was soaring when Dzeko netted his first league goal at Ewood Park.

Partnership with Silva

David Silva is a legend at Manchester City – he is one of the greatest players they have ever had – and he struck up a special partnership with the Bosnia international.

They were involved in 21 goals together, with Silva assisting 13 for Dzeko and the 34-year-old returning the favour on eight occasions himself.

They were a force to be reckoned with during their time together at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City 3-2 QPR

The final day of the 2011/12 season was the most unbelievable in the club’s history, and Dzeko more than played his part.

City only needed to win against QPR, who were struggling at the wrong end of the table, to beat rivals Manchester United to the title, but they found themselves 2-1 down in injury time.

The now AS Roma player, though, rose to the occasion, heading in to level things up at 2-2 before Aguero scored the winner. It was Citizens’ first Premier League triumph and Dzeko’s equaliser will make him an immortal presence in the club’s history books.

2013/14 season

The 2011/12 campaign was a brilliant one for Dzeko – he managed 15 strikes in all competitions – but he was at his peak for City in the 2013/14 campaign.

That involved another epic title race, this time with Liverpool, and the Bosnian stepped up to the plate in the absence of the injured Aguero in the run-in.

He managed 26 goals and 16 assists in all competitions as City one again won the title on the final day of the campaign.

A run of eight goals in the final ten games of the season – including a brace at Goodison Park in the club’s final away game of the season – were pivotal in bringing the trophy back to Manchester.

Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to some hilarious comments from Ally McCoist, who shared a story on TalkSPORT of his time at Ibrox with Paul Gascoigne.

You didn’t really think McCoist was running out of amazing stories about Gazza, did you?

The former Gers target man was back on TalkSPORT again on Thursday, reeling out yet another classic encounter from his days alongside one of the most talented and enigmatic players of all time.

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This time, the ex-striker revealed a bust-up between the pair that led to a victory in the 1996 League Cup final, explaining how a misunderstanding over where to pass the ball escalated: “I ran up and I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and I said: ‘You ever try to make a fool of me in front of 60,000 again, and I’ll rip your head off!’

“He said to me: ‘Is that right? Let’s get this sorted out right now!’”

He continued to explain how Walter Smith demanded they stop arguing at half-time, only to grab Gascoigne by the scruff of the neck and hang him up on a coat peg.

“Eventually when it calmed down Gazza got up, went out of the dressing room and straight into the director’s room – in his gear by the way! – and had a whiskey.

“He threw it down his neck, came back into the dressing room, sat down, Walter did his team talk, he walked out for the second half and he scored two goals. He was unbelievable.”

Of course, it was McCoist himself who scored the other two goals in the epic 4-3 encounter, also playing a part in Gazza’s late winner.

Fans on Twitter have been loving the tale, praising Gazza as “the ultimate football maverick” while one supporter admitted it is “sad” that stories such as these won’t exist in football anymore. Check out some of the best responses down below…

Rangers fans fume after St Mirren’s CEO reveals his title verdict…

Fans of Leeds United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which highlights footage from Sky Sports News, in which Jim White reports that Leeds players, coaching staff and senior management have taken a wage deferral for the foreseeable future.

After a remarkable campaign so far, Leeds United currently top the Championship table, having amassed 71 points from 37 games.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, all football in the country has come to an abrupt halt, leaving many clubs concerned about their future, having lost the usual income of match-day revenue.

While the Premier League is currently in discussions with its players regarding a pay decrease throughout the break from football, and so far, getting nowhere, Leeds United became one of the first English clubs to voluntarily differ their players, coaching staff and senior management’s wages, so that the club could continue to pay all non-playing or coaching staff throughout the break.

Leeds director of football Victor Orta stated on the matter: “My players have demonstrated an incredible sense of unity and togetherness. To Marcelo [Bielsa] and his staff and all of the players, we thank them for putting our wider team first and taking care of family.”

In reaction to the reports, which were relayed on Twitter here, fans have flocked to have their say on the matter, with many praising Bielsa and his players for their selflessness, while others have stated that this is the reason why they love Leeds United.

You can see more of their reactions below:

One fan even stated that they are surprised that they aired it on Sky Sports, which could relate to the fact that Leeds have had a previous incident with Sky Sports.

A lot of West Ham fans enjoyed footage posted by the club on Twitter showing a tremendous victory at Upton Park back in May 2007.

The game, played 13 years ago yesterday, saw the Irons beat Bolton 3-1, with two goals coming from Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez, whilst the other came from club legend Mark Noble, as per BBC. Tevez was a great signing for the East London side in the one season he was at the club (2006/07), scoring seven goals and picking up four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

In that campaign, the Irons narrowly avoided the drop as they finished 15th in the Premier League, but were only three points away from Sheffield United in 18th, as per Sportsmole.

Tevez’s goals throughout the season and the win against Bolton proved vital to the club staying in the division that year and the footage gave the West Ham faithful fond memories of an eventful season in England’s top flight.

Here is what some Hammers fans had to say following the club’s tweet:

West Ham fans, was Tevez one of the best strikers to play for the club? Comment below with your views!

Aston Villa defender James Chester, currently on loan at Stoke, has provided an update on his expiring contract at his parent club.

The 31-year-old fell out of favour with Dean Smith following the club’s promotion to the Premier League and made just two appearances before agreeing a loan move to the Championship side in the January transfer window. Having impressed upon his arrival at the bet365 stadium, Chester instantly became a starter, featuring in all but one of Stoke’s league games before the postponement in fixtures in March.

With Villa boss Smith seemingly happy with his defensive options, Chester is unlikely to see his contract renewed, meaning that he would be available on a free transfer this summer. Stoke boss Michael O’Neill has suggested that the Potters could make a permanent move for the centre-back, although that will depend on Villa’s decision whether or not to offer new terms.

Writing in his latest column for The Athletic, Chester has now provided an update on his current situation.

“My current contract at Aston Villa expires this summer and it is something I have thought of slightly but as we’re waiting on so many decisions, I haven’t really asked too many questions. I don’t think people at clubs will have any kind of answer for me.

“I’ll put my mind to it when I have all the information in front of me. Maybe in the next few weeks.”

You would have to feel that this is the ideal summer for Chester to leave Villa and look to find first team football elsewhere.

Stoke could provide that option for the defender but, with the Potters enduring a poor season, the former Hull City man should perhaps look for a more promising destination if he is to sever his ties with Aston Villa permanently.

Aston Villa fans, would you be alright with Chester leaving for Stoke permanently or do you feel he could play at a higher level? Let us know in the comments section below…