According to reports from The Metro earlier this week, Manchester United are considering a summer bid for Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke.

The Belgium international has been in stunning form since Tim Sherwood took the Villa Park reins from Paul Lambert in February, going on to claim ten goals in ten appearances across all competitions – including a hat-trick against Queens Park Rangers and the opener in the Villains’ 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool.

But whether he’s quite at the standard of 13-time Premier League winners Manchester United remains open to debate. After all, the Red Devils have boasted some of the greatest strikers in world football down the years and their current strike-force – Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao – isn’t too shabby either.

So before the Old Trafford out fork out a whopping £30million for the beastly Belgian, Football Fancast feels compelled to consider some alternatives on their behalf. Would one of these FIVE be a better fit for United?

[interaction id=“none”]

HARRY KANE

After just one season of superlative form, snapping up Tottenham’s Harry Kane this summer would be a huge risk on Manchester United’s part, but nonetheless one that offers huge goalscoring rewards.

After all, the 21 year-old is the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League this term with 20 goals in 30 appearances – a total only surpassed in the top flight by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.

More than simply his goals, it’s the England international’s all-round game that truly stands out. He’s good on the ball, dangerous in the air, deadly in front of goal and infectious in his enthusiasm, earning him comparisons with Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller and England greats Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham.

Admittedly, it could be a summer too soon for the Tottenham talisman. He’d hardly be the first or the last one-season wonder in the Premier League, and he still has a lot to learn.

But United have made a point of maintaining their synonymy with the England national team throughout the years and Kane appears to have an incredibly bright Three Lions career ahead of him.

CARLOS BACCA

After two fantastic seasons at Sevilla, Carlos Bacca’s £21.3million release clause is almost certain to be triggered by one of Europe’s top clubs this summer.

Indeed, the Colombian international’s 21 goals last season fired the La Liga outfit to the 2014 Europa League title, but he’s already surpassed that impressive haul this year in seven less outings, bringing his total for Los Rojiblancos to 45 goals in 97 appearances.

Powerful, quick and unorthodox in style, the 28 year-old seems like a natural suitor the physical demands of Premier League – and he’d add some much-needed penetration to United’s often static front-line.

Admittedly, however, Bacca’s relatively untested compared to some of the other names on this list, having spent the majority of his career in South America and with Belgian side Club Brugge.

But based on his current form, £21.3million is an absolute bargain – and £9million cheaper than Benteke.

Paulo Dybala

Palermo prodigy Paulo Dybala is the striker everybody seems to want this summer – including Manchester United.

His return of 13 goals and 10 assists in 32 Serie A appearances has attracted interest from the Red Devils, Arsenal, Liverpool, PSG and Juventus to name a few, whilst earning him comparisons with Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Luis Suarez.

High praise indeed, but the 21 year-old certainly shares the latter’s drive and potency on the counter-attack – which is exactly why the Premier League’s top clubs should be trying to snap him up this summer.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has made no secret of his desire to cash in on the young Argentine, continually hyping Dybala in the tabloids like some sort of boxing mogul.

His £29.5million release clause is more than affordable for United; the bigger challenge is beating their continental rivals to the striker’s signature.

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

Robert Lewandowski may have moved to the Allianz Arena only last summer, but he’s struggled to adapt to the style of Pep Guardiola’s highly technical Bayern Munich side – despite a return of 23 goals in 43 appearances this season.

Indeed, the Poland international is your classic No.9 of the Alan Shearer or Didier Drogba mould, but he’s utilised more as a poacher by the Bavarians boss – and, on occasion, even found himself fielded on the left wing.

There’s been some grumblings of discontent in the tabloids and if founded in truth, the Red Devils would be wide to offer Lewandowski an escape route to Old Trafford.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

There’s no questioning the 26 year-old’s talent; few strikers throughout the history of the sport have scored four goals in a single game against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and he boasts a potent return of 126 goals in 228 appearances from his time in Germany.

Furthermore, having signed the 6 foot striker on a free transfer last summer, the Bavarians might be more willing to part with Lewandowksi than some would expect – for the right price, of course.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

If PSG don’t intend to sell Edinson Cavani this summer as recent tabloid speculation suggests, then they’ll probably be forced to part with Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who, rather timely, is now verging upon the final year of his Parc de Princes contract.

Admittedy, at 33 years of age the enigmatic Swede doesn’t offer too much in the way of longevity – and you get the feeling he and Louis van Gaal would either hit it off or completely hate each other.

Yet, Ibahimovic is indisputably the greatest striker of his generation, the only genuine competitor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the last five years and a natural winner – he’s not ended a campaign without a title since 2003. That’s right, twelve seasons on the bounce.

And 28 goals in 31 appearances this term suggests the former AC Milan and Barcelona star still has a bit left in the tank. Although he’s clearly fond of Paris, the Premier League is one of the few remaining challenges left his career.

Peter Schmeichel recently claimed Ibrahimovic was ‘born to play’ for United, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Chris Smalling’s talks about a new contract with Manchester United have been put on hold until the end of the season with it uncertain as to whether the defender will still be a United player next season.

The defender is keen to stay at Old Trafford and he is enjoying life at the Red Devils with Louis van Gaal. He has made 22 appearances this season for the club and after a slow start which saw him put in some bad performances, he has greatly improved his game. After getting sent off in November against Manchester City many fans would have been happy not to have seen him play again but now he is quickly becoming a more dependable defender. After receiving two extremely careless yellows it looked like he would be left on the bench for the rest of the season and out of the door this summer. So all being considered – should he stay at Manchester United next season?

United’s defence has been one of their biggest problems this season with van Gaal not being completely sure of what his strongest back four is. The back four has chopped and changed all year and earlier in the season Smalling was someway behind Jonny Evans and Phil Jones  in the pecking order but it seems his current form has brought him to the front with van Gaal picking him to start for the last five matches in a row and Roy Hodgson calling him up to play for England.

In September Smalling suffered from being played out of position similar to how he finished last season but he has come to be fairly reliable (okay he has had the occasional off day, but everybody does its natural). When you look at this season’s statistics against some of the Premier League’s other defenders- John Terry, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma all have worst statistics than Smalling. He passes forward more, makes more interceptions and scores more goals but his weakness lies in winning headers.

There might be a solution to this. Mats Hummels has been linked with joining Man United’s defence over the summer and with eight defenders already on the books someone with surely have to go. They could make it easy and move Smalling on seeing as his contract is already up but it means the defenders will need to show van Gaal what they are made of for the rest of the season.

Smalling plays better against a traditional centre back and with Hummels being known for being dominate in the defence it could be the perfect partnership. Smalling has greatly improved as the season has gone on- he has come into his best just when it matters.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

After looking at all that it seems like Chris Smalling is growing to really fit in to United’s back four and as he wants to stay at Old Trafford I think van Gaal should get his contract written up before the likes of Arsenal come and snap him up.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Despite a 1-0 home defeat to Swansea this week ending an unbeaten run for Arsenal, the general feeling around the Emirates Stadium is one of optimism.

The Gunners look like a side capable of challenging for the Premier League title next season, while a number of summer signings would drill the point home further.

However, there will also be players on their way out of the North London club at the end of the current campaign, with attacking outcast Lukas Podolski surely amongst them.

The experienced Germany international has spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Inter, while he did not start a single Premier League game in the 2014 segment of the season.

With Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez arriving last summer, Podolski is well down the attacking pecking order, with a player of his stature and track record craving regular first-team football.

As such, the former Bayern Munich forward will surely depart this summer; here are three Premier League sides that could land a bargain addition by moving for Podolski in the off-season…

[interaction id=“none”]

Newcastle

Assuming that the Tyneside outfit stay in the top flight this season, there is set to be a major overhaul at the club this summer.

A new manager will arrive with plenty of players seemingly set to be sold and a real necessity for quality in the St James’ Park squad.

Podolski could be a shrewd acquisition that would bring the versatility to play in a number of different positions and bolster Newcastle’s limited options in the final third.

With goals in short supply in the North East, the German’s addition as either a central striker or someone to start in a withdrawn role would add menace to the team’s attack.

Aston Villa

One of the key issues that Tim Sherwood will need to address this summer at Villa Park is nullifying the over-reliance on Christian Benteke to get goals for the team.

When the Belgian has been injured or out of form the club have struggled, while his return to prolific showings in recent times has sparked an upturn in fortunes for the Birmingham-based outfit.

There will be a chance that Benteke could leave Aston Villa this summer, but whether he does or not attacking reinforcements would be most welcome.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Partnering Podolski with Benteke would be an exciting proposition, while if the worst case scenario does occur and the Belgian leaves, the German would be a canny alternative to get goals for the side.

Swansea

Following the sale of Wilfried Bony in the January transfer window, Garry Monk’s attacking options are looking very limited, with Bafetimbi Gomis the only recognised number nine of real calibre at the Welsh club’s disposal.

As such, someone with Podolski’s eye for goal and ability to play as the main striker or amongst the supporting cast would be a smart option.

The Germany international would thrive on the creative supply of the Swansea midfield and wingers, with every chance he could be a revelation at the Liberty Stadium.

Let the hyperbole begin. Arsenal’s Community Shield victory, just the latest episode in their growing ever bitter rivalry with Chelsea, brings with it high expectations for the upcoming season.

The Gunners may be ready to mount a serious title challenge for the first time in years, only time will tell. What is for sure, however, is that the fortune of England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be crucial to their chances.

Scoring the winner in the tradition curtain-raiser, ‘The Ox’ terrorised one of the best defences in Europe all afternoon. Right sided wing rivals Raheem Sterling and Theo Walcott have earned pay increases this summer, making headlines in the transfer window. Meanwhile, the ex-Saint has quietly been getting on with his business, trying to overcome his injury problems.

[ffc-gal cat=”arsenal” no=”5″]

Walcott has recently signed an extension at the Emirates, reportedly earning £140,000-a-week. After almost a decade of service, perhaps he is more entitled than Chamberlain to earn that sort of money, but the 21-year-old should not be too far behind.

He is one of the most exciting young players in Europe, and often gets forgotten about behind flashier names.

Sterling completed a protracted saga to Manchester City in a £49m deal earlier this summer. In that sort of mega-money world, what would Oxlade-Chamberlain be worth? Man City’s new man is also a hugely exciting prospect, but his international team mate has already achieved more.

Two FA Cup medals and two Community Shields is not the most packed of trophy cabinets, but still quadrupoles’ that of Sterling’s. It is hard to directly compare two versatile, dynamic young internationals at this stage of their careers, and the term ‘better’ may not be the best to use.

However, the Gunner provides a lot more of an end product than the £49m man. The City bosses are unlikely to have shelled out that sort of money for what Sterling has done, more at what he might do. This is not to say that Oxlade-Chamberlain is the end product, but using that kind of logic, he would surely be worth more.

Stunning performances in big games, against the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United and now Chelsea are what ‘Chambo’ is all about. His all action approach is reminiscent of team-mate Alexis Sanchez, and his versatility allows him to operate either out wide or through the middle.

End product is the only product to write home about in top level football. The belter to secure a second Community Shield was only half the story in an excellent performance at Wembley. This was £49m-esque performance against the current champions. It is not his first. Surely it will not be his last.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Injury problems may affect any hypothetical price for the Gunner, but at just 21-years old, it is still likely to be upwards of £40m. Perhaps Sterling comes as more of a marketing package, but ‘The Ox’ is undoubtedly stronger.

[ad_pod id=’ffc-poll’ align=’center’]

Throughout the summer, rumours were rife that Liverpool wanted to sign Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk to solve their defensive woes.

In the end, the Saints stood firm and refused a sale, which left the Reds in trouble as they did not appear to have a back-up plan.

Van Dijk submitted a transfer request, making it clear that he wanted to move on.

Since the summer window closed, speculation has been circling that the Dutchman will seal a move away from St Mary’s in January.

Liverpool and Chelsea have been the two clubs touted in the newspapers as possible suitors for Van Dijk, but now it has emerged that Manchester City have entered the race.

According to The Guardian, manager Pep Guardiola regards the centre-back as a top priority in his transfer activity for January.

The Premier League leaders are keen to strengthen their defence amid concerns over Vincent Kompany’s long-term fitness.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

After the news emerged, Liverpool fans gave their assessment of the situation.

According to reports in French publication FootMercato, Everton have turned down the chance to sign Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri, rated at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, during the January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports reported on January 4 that the Toffees were one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing the 26-year-old, but FootMercato says that while the Ivory Coast international has been offered to Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, Everton aren’t interested.

FootMercato reports that Sam Allardyce’s side are well stocked in central areas, and the manager is looking to sign attacking players and a centre-back this month instead.

How has Seri done this season?

He has been good, but not as impressive as last year.

The versatile player scored seven goals and provided a further nine assists in 34 Ligue 1 appearances last term from central and defensive midfield position, but he has scored just one goal and provided a further five assists in 21 outings this season, although the majority of those have come when he has been playing in a deeper role.

The Ivorian is known for his passing and his ability to create chances, as well as making interceptions in the middle of the park.

Are Everton right to not want him?

They certainly are.

The Toffees have plenty of options in the central midfield positions – Morgan Schneiderlin, Idrissa Gueye, Mo Besic, James McCarthy, Tom Davies, Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen can all play there if needed – and it is certainly an area that doesn’t need strengthening right now.

Could they target him in the future?

It seems unlikely, unless Morgan Schneiderlin or Idrissa Gueye leave either during the current window or in the summer.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, Seri has been heavily linked with an exit from Nice, and if that happens this month it will be too late by the summer for Everton anyway.

According to reports by Spanish media outlet Diario Gol, Arsenal are among the clubs interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who is rated at €45m (approximately £39.7m) according to Transfermarkt, in the summer following the arrival of Philippe Coutinho at the Camp Nou over the weekend.

What’s the word, then?

Well, even though the Croatia international has been a regular for the La Liga leaders this season, Diario Gol says that he fears the signing of Coutinho will limit his playing time for the rest of this campaign and the next one, and he is exploring leaving in the summer.

Diario Gol claims that the Gunners, Premier League rivals Liverpool and Juventus all have offers on the table for the 29-year-old, but that he would prefer to wait until after representing his country at the World Cup in Russia this summer in order to receive more offers.

The report adds that an exit isn’t definite, and if the midfielder continues to play regularly in the second-half of the current season then he won’t be looking to move on.

How has Rakitic done this season?

He has done well, and showed his versatility.

The Croatian has often played in either a central or defensive midfield role for Barca this term, scoring one goal and providing a further three assists in 28 appearances in all competitions.

The 29-year-old started four of their six Champions League group stage matches – coming off of the substitutes’ bench in the other two – with his sole goal of the campaign coming in the impressive 3-0 win against Juventus on the opening matchday.

According to WhoScored.com, Rakitic has shown the quality he has on the ball with an average passing accuracy of 90.6% in La Liga and in Europe, while he has made 25 key passes in 24 outings across those two competitions.

Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?

He certainly could be, and he may even be handed a more offensive role if he did join the Gunners.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Arsene Wenger already having the likes of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey available to him in the middle, he may see Rakitic appearing in a more attacking position if he does bring the Croatian to the Emirates.

One concern for the north London outfit could be that he wouldn’t really be a signing for the future given he turns 30 years of age in March, but there is no doubting the ability he has on the ball and Arsenal will need guaranteed quality if the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have left by the summer.

The 1-1 draw at St. Mary’s in Sunday’s 4pm kickoff was undoubtedly a frustrating experience for Tottenham fans. Mauricio Pochettino’s side entered the clash amid a run of eight wins in ten games across all competitions, but just couldn’t extend that to 9 in 11 versus a Southampton side who, despite gaining a point, find themselves in the relegation zone.

Somewhere in between a suspect playing surface, the absence of chief creator Christian Eriksen and a solid defensive performance from the home side, Tottenham failed to make further progress after a Harry Kane header cancelled out Davinson Sanchez’s own-goal opener.

And it appears no individual frustrated Southampton more than Moussa Sissoko, who hasn’t exactly been a beacon of popularity since joining the north London club from Newcastle in summer 2016. In fact, when we asked Spurs fans to rate each individual performance against Southampton out of ten, the 53-cap Frenchman picked up an average score of just 3.1 – the worst of any Tottenham player and even lower than what their three substitutes received.

The statistics, though, suggest that meagre rating is somewhat harsh. Sissoko actually created the most chances, four, of any player on the pitch and made the most tackles, three, of any Tottenham star. So, Spurs fans, do you think Sissoko is treated unfairly by some supporters? Let us know by commenting below…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Anthony Martial has become quite the fan favourite at Manchester United this season.

The Frenchman had to fight his way into Jose Mourinho’s team after being left out of the squad a handful of times.

In the current campaign, the attacker has been thriving, scoring 11 goals and creating six assists in 34 appearances – 21 starts – in all competitions.

This week, the Frenchman was named United’s Player of the Month for January due to his impressive form, which included three goals and two assists.

As expected, the fans were delighted that the 22-year-old was handed the gong, but some were left disappointed with his thank-you message to the supporters.

The former Monaco star said all the right things, but a handful of United’s following were irked by the fact that he did not speak French.

Martial has been living in England for the past two-and-a-half years, but his video message indicates that he is not 100% comfortable speaking the local language.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Some supporters have been left less than impressed.

[ad_pod ]

The Sun’s Neil Ashton was roundly mocked this week for an article in which he favourably compared the present Spurs side with Busby’s Babes and Bill Shankly’s great Liverpool side. English football was entering a golden age, the tabloid’s chief football reporter trumpeted, while strongly alluding that this was directly due to the rise of Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

The Premier League should ‘cherish, encourage, and embrace’ them. They are ‘irresistible’. He ended his puffed-up piece of propagandising by insisting that we all watch this incredible team while we had the chance.

Yet Ashton’s ludicrous hyperbole was hardly an outlier. Across all media platforms Tottenham are praised to the rafters with such casual regularity these days that a newbie to the sport would assume it is they who have made this season’s title race a one-team formality and not Manchester City. For the record Spurs are twenty points shy of the top and are currently lying outside of a Champions League spot, one point behind a Chelsea team deemed to be in entrenched crisis.

The press’ enthralment of Spurs is hardly a new phenomenon of course with the North London club long said to have benefited from positive coverage in comparison to their rivals. The timing of its escalation though is puzzling even when recent impressive performances away to Liverpool and Juventus and at home to Arsenal and Manchester United are factored in. In recent seasons they have been in genuine contention to win their first league title for over 65 years.

Now they are hopelessly adrift of that aspiration and furthermore are on course to only match their second worst league placing since 2009. In the last few days alone two journalists have confided to me that they are absolutely perplexed by their colleagues’ decision to ramp up the Tottenham love-in now of all times.

If it is somewhat galling to see the continued excellence of this excellent 11  portrayed in an exaggerated fashion that is nothing in relation to when it is broken down further to the biased representation of its players. The beatification of Harry Kane is one thing but at least the striker justifies his acclaim on a weekly basis with goal after goal after goal. Dele Alli however does not have the performances to back up the hype. Not this season. Far from it.

The attacking midfielder has always included a good portion of rough with the smooth, an ‘edge’ to his game that pundits and journalists alike could excuse when his form was exceptional with the reasoning that it was necessary to fire him up a level. That reasoning incidentally was never less than nonsense at the best of times. Only now it’s anything but the best of times for the 21-year-old and with the player a shadow of his former self his proclivity to indulge in football’s dark arts has really come to the fore.

It is fair to suggest that if this nose-dive in form and reckless elevation of ego had combined in any other previously over-hyped English star the press would delight in their favourite sport of Tall Poppying, laying into the player with unsavoury relish. Yet in the case of Alli he ‘needs to cut that part of his game out’ apparently. Two weeks ago at Anfield he even received contrary praise for admitting and apologising for a dive so startlingly blatant even Donald Trump would have held his hands up to.

The last home-grown player to enjoy such unaccountability was a young Wayne Rooney. Rooney was ten times the player Alli is at a similar age.

It does not take the mind of a conspiracy theorist to work out why this is so. Alli cannot be considered a popular player among neutrals and in fact the very opposite applies. He does however play for Tottenham Hotspur.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If coverage of this modern Spurs side can be viewed as generously enthusiastic then the same cannot be said of their depiction on social media. There – presumably as a direct reaction to the flowery prose and smitten glances encountered everywhere else – it slants too unfairly towards the negative given their establishment as a force to be reckoned with in recent years. Spurs are damned for being ‘bottlers’. They are derided for an absence of silverware. They are ‘Spursy’.

This begs the question – why can’t Pochettino’s team be reasonably estimated? Why can’t it ever be somewhere in-between with considerable admiration for the outstanding work done by the Argentine during his three-and-a-half years at the Lane coupled with a recognition that for all of their strengths, collective and individually, there appears to be an – admittedly high – glass ceiling to their ability?

Perhaps this is illustrative of where we are now in football with nuance and reason discarded for only extremes. It does need pointing out though that considering where the main section of Spurs’ cheerleaders reside the charge that they don’t win anything is unfounded. They’ve won the Media Cup now for three years running, on this occasion uncontested.