Tottenham Hotspur are set to announce Roberto De Zerbi as their next permanent manager, and he has seven games to save the club’s Premier League status.
Spurs currently sit just one point above the relegation zone following their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest before the international break, and the Italian will take charge of the team for the first time when they return from that break on April 12th for a huge clash against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Injuries have been a major problem for the north London club this season, while a host of players have been underperforming from the level of quality they are known to have. So who will De Zerbi be calling upon in his first starting lineup for the game? GIVEMESPORT has had a look at the lay of the land.
Kinsky Redemption Arc?
While Guglielmo Vicario will undoubtedly be the first-choice goalkeeper under De Zerbi for the battle against the drop, the Italian has undergone surgery for a hernia problem and is likely to miss the game against Sunderland as he continues his recovery.
That should see Antonin Kinsky restored to the lineup for the first time since his horror show in Madrid against Atletico earlier this month, which saw him substituted at 3-0 down after just 17 minutes.
In front of his is likely to be a back four, and De Zerbi will likely go with a unit that is more familiar. Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven will almost certainly start in central defence, despite the decent form of Kevin Danso, while Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie should get the nod at full-back, with Djed Spence dropping out of the side as a result.
Bravery or Stupidity in Midfield?
De Zerbi has never been afraid of using young players, but with Tottenham’s precarious position currently, it would certainly be a risk to go with it.
However, Archie Gray has made himself undroppable in recent weeks with his performances and should get the nod in his natural midfield role. The position to partner him is up for grabs, though. Joao Palhinha provides experience and defensive stability, while Lucas Bergvall is fit once again and could also slot in to provide more of an attacking threat. There is also hope that Rodrigo Bentancur could return from injury, adding another option into the mix.
Ahead of them, De Zerbi likes to have a number ten who can dictate games, and Xavi Simons deserves his spot in the side in his preferred role.
Kudus Returns, Kolo Muani Dropped
The attack has been the biggest issue for Spurs this season, having scored just 40 goals in their 31 games so far. But De Zerbi is expected to be able to call upon Ghana star Mohammed Kudus for this game, who has been missing with a quadriceps injury since January.
Alongside the 25-year-old, Mathys Tel has been the best-performing forward on the left wing despite the poor form of the team, and the young Frenchman should keep his starting spot if fit, having withdrawn from international duty with the France Under-21’s.
Up front, Richarlison is the club’s top scorer but Dominic Solanke has usually been the first-choice option. The Brazilian seems more likely to get the nod because of his ability to press, while Randal Kolo Muani, who got a 1/10 rating against Atletico Madrid, is almost certain to find himself on the bench.
Predicted Tottenham XI vs Sunderland for De Zerbi’s first game:
Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Tel; Richarlison.
Manchester United are facing a battle in their hopes of landing Newcastle United star Lewis Hall, as a Premier League rival has joined the race, according to TeamTalk.
The England international has emerged as a key target for the Red Devils this summer, as they switch focus to improving the left-back ranks over the course of the transfer market.
It has been a problem position for several seasons, with Luke Shaw‘s fitness concerns joined by the inability to land a competitive replacement in recent transfer windows.
While the 30-year-old improved his availability last season, a return to the Champions League for next season means that several targets are on the radar to help deal with the increasingly busy schedule.
Hall appears to be target number one, but there is a fresh challenge in trying to secure his signature.
While there is some hope of getting a deal done, TeamTalk now reports that Premier League rivals Chelsea are in the conversation to sign the 21-year-old in the transfer window.
It’s claimed that the Blues are eyeing a possible return for the star, who came through the club’s academy ranks as a youngster before making the switch to Newcastle.
Chelsea have made enquiries over the possibility, which may only ramp up due to Marc Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid going through after a swift agreement was reached for the Spaniard.
The £60 million fee could prove to be prohibitive, with it being double the £30 million fee they managed to sell Hall for just a few years ago.
That said, the sale of Cucurella does mean the West London club now have money to burn at left-back, which could rock Man United in their own hopes of landing Hall.
The report claims that the 21-year-old is the “leading target” for the Red Devils this summer, but now face a battle on their hands to land him.
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Manchester United’s chase for a left-back will be key heading into next season, as the squad can’t be left short for such an important area with the return of the Champions League.
Enzo Fernandez opens up on Lionel Messi, Argentina’s World Cup triumph, and the pressure of defending the trophy on the biggest stage.
In this exclusive interview with Ben Jacobs, Enzo Fernandez reflects on winning the World Cup with Messi, his emotional first goal for Argentina, Dibu Martinez’s iconic final save, and what it means to represent Argentina heading into another massive tournament. Enzo also discusses his evolution as a player, growing into a leadership role, and his dream of one day captaining the national team.
From Messi’s influence to Argentina’s winning mentality, this is Enzo Fernandez on the moments that shaped his career — and what comes next.
According to reports, FIFA have managed to ban fans from one nation from bringing their own flags to World Cup games this summer. The ruling was upheld after a last-minute hearing in Los Angeles on Monday.
The team in question are Iran. Their supporters will no longer be able to wave pre-revolutionary flags at their matches in the United States this summer. They have games to come against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, which all take place in the US.
There is a current conflict between the two nations, and it was unclear if Iran would be able to compete at the tournament. They were supposed to have their training camp in Tucson, Arizona, but that was moved to Tijuana, Mexico. There have also been claims that they will only be allowed into the US to play their matches, before then immediately flying out of the country.
The flag is similar to the country’s official flag but features a lion and sun motif in the standard’s centre.
It was the subject of a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday by the Institute for Voice of Liberty and Sam Kermanian, an Iran fan intending to go to the game. Just hours before their match against the All Whites, it was ruled that the ban should be allowed to stand.
Judge Curtis A. Kin said:
“Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a bedrock of our society, but it is not without limitation, such as private actor, on private property, and as shown by previous cases, regulating in reasonable way. I deny the application.”
The flag in question is historically associated with the country’s previous Shah-led regime, which was deposed in 1979. Judge Kin explained his reasoning, adding: “There may be harm to some 2,500 staff members who have to deal with safety protocols.
“It is a tremendous burden to change a long-standing stadium protocol for a massive event in a period of hours. It is hard to see how FIFA could make a change at one stadium and not the rest.” He argued a stadium, where a ticket for entry is required, is not pubic like a park or a street.
FIFA Deem Pre-Revolutionary Iran Flags As ‘Political’ in Nature
Lawyer Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, representing Iran fan Kermanian, argued that the World Cup is a joint venture between FIFA and governments and therefore the stadium is taking on a public forum. Speaking on behalf of 5,000 members of the Institute for Voice of Liberty:
“They are ticket holders, with a right to attend game with their own flag. This is being violated. It may be trivial to many, to them it is critical. There is a huge Iranian community in California, many are not going to want to walk in with Islamic Republic flag. They are being denied their exercise of free speech. This is not someone yelling fire in a theatre.”
Judge Kin responded: “So you could walk in with a Nazi flag or Confederate flag or Soviet flag or that of the KKK?” To which Mokhtarzadeh claimed that those people should also be protected by the right to free speech. He added: “Denial will cause more problems than are lost. (Allowing the lion and sun flag) is a way of preventing problems in the stadium. Right to free speech far outweighs any concern FIFA may have.”
FIFA appear to have taken issue with the pre-revolutionary flag, as it has been deemed “political” in nature. A source inside FIFA with direct knowledge of its position told The Athletic that this is the case.
On that, a past statement explained what ‘materials’ would not be allowed in World Cup stadiums: “Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender identity and expression, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation or on any other grounds.”
