Inside Futbol

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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are amongst a host of Premier League sides keen on Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, but could be disappointed if they want him now.

A product of Manchester City’s youth academy, Gittens left the Sky Blues in 2020 for Germany and worked his way through Dortmund’s youth set-up.

His performances both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League this season have been impressive, allowing him to catch the attention of top Premier League sides.

Gittens is wanted by Liverpool and Tottenham, along with Chelsea and Arsenal, according to German broadcaster Sky Deutschland.

Some of the clubs have even started initial talks to get clarity on what they would need to sign Gittens in the future.

Premier League sides are set to be disappointed though if they move soon as Gittens has no desire to leave Dortmund.

Gittens believes he is in the best place and feels settled at Dortmund.

Gittens’ camp have also maintained a healthy relationship with the club, giving last season’s Champions League finalists an advantage.

His deal is also set to run for another four years.

Gittens does see himself playing in the Premier League in the future, but English sides look set to have to wait.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou thinks that when he is gone, everyone will crave his style of entertaining football.

Spurs 2-2 drew on Thursday night against Roma in the Europa League despite leading the game twice and a late equaliser in injury time from Mats Hummels forced Postecoglou’s side to share the points.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou has regularly come in for criticism due to his attacking style of football, which has cost them points several times since he took over.

Postecoglou stated that he does not understand the need for him to change his style of football to become more pragmatic and stressed that he will continue to push his side to play differently.

He pointed out that Tottenham would have missed out on a 4-0 win against Manchester City at the weekend if he decided to be pragmatic and sit back after the 2-0 scoreline.

The Spurs boss also added that people who are criticising him now will crave his style of entertaining football when he is gone from the Premier League.

When asked about whether he will take a pragmatic approach after the draw against Roma, Postecoglou said in his press conference: “Look, I don’t know how many ways I can say this.

“I understand it.

“Look, there’s plenty of room for pragmatism in walks of life and in football as well.

“But I’m just not interested in it.

“I don’t know why I need to change my approach to be like everyone else wants me to be.

“I’ll continue to push this team to be a bit different, to play football in a different way and maybe when I’m long gone you’ll all pine for my entertainment, and you’ll have had your fill of pragmatism.

“But look, if we were pragmatic I’d say at 2-0 up at City away, we’d have probably settled and we wouldn’t have got the victory we did and made it a special moment for our club.”

Tottenham Hotspur are set to take on Fulham on Sunday before they face Bournemouth on 5th December.

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Paul Robinson has expressed a note of caution around Tottenham Hotspur having to face Rangers, but insists Spurs still have their Europa League fate in their own hands.

Ange Postecoglou’s side twice led against Roma in north London on Thursday evening, but were pegged back twice, with an injury time Mats Hummels goal making sure the Italians claimed a point.

The result leaves Spurs on the cusp of the top eight in the lengthy Europa League table, following five games, and Scottish giants Rangers sit a place ahead of them on goal difference.

Rangers provide Spurs’ next Europa League opponents and though former Tottenham goalkeeper Robinson feels the side still have their fate in their hands, he issued a note of caution on the Gers.

While Spurs were drawing, Rangers were thrashing Nice 4-1 in France and Robinson admits the Gers are ‘different’ in Europe than they are in Scotland.

“Rangers in a European competition are different to their league form”, Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 live.

“For Tottenham to go away to Rangers, you would like to think Tottenham have still got it in their hands.”

In dropping points to Roma, Robinson believes that Spurs need to improve both in their organisation and leadership.

“Spurs have only got themselves to blame.

“From the set-play it is about organisation and leadership”, he added.

Rangers will welcome Tottenham to Ibrox on 12th December.

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Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur vs Roma

Competition: Europa League

Kick-off: 20:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur have named their starting line-up and substitutes to play host to Italian giants Roma in the Europa League this evening.

Spurs thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at the weekend and it marked a return to winning ways after back to back defeats.

Spurs sit comfortably in the Europa League table with three wins from their four league stage games and start as favourites to get another win tonight.

Visitors Roma have won just one of their four Europa League matches and are now bossed by experienced tactician Claudio Ranieri; they arrive in north London on the back of a 1-0 loss at Napoli at the weekend.

Fraser Forster is between the sticks for Tottenham tonight, while in defence Ange Postecoglou picks Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and Archie Gray as a four.

Midfield sees Spurs field Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur, while Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke and Heung-Min Son lead the attacking threat.

Postecoglou has options to turn to off the bench if needed, including Timo Werner and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham Hotspur Team vs Roma

Forster, Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray, Sarr, Bentancur, Kulusevski, Johnson, Solanke, Son

Substitutes: Austin, Whiteman, Udogie, Hardy, King, Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett, Werner

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Ex-Leeds United boss Neil Redfearn is of the view that Tottenham Hotspur loan star Manor Solomon looked really sharp against Luton Town on Wednesday night and did his job well.

Tottenham agreed a loan deal with Leeds to let Solomon join them in the summer and in a sign Spurs continue to see him as part of their plans did not include any option for the Whites to buy him.

After missing the early part of the season due to an injury, Soloman is back fit and on Wednesday played his first 90 minutes since joining the club against Luton Town.

Leeds won the game 2-0 and Redfearn is of the opinion that the Tottenham loanee, despite not getting on the scoresheet, played his role very well in the game.

The former White boss also added that Solomon looked sharp and pointed out that the Spurs winger is facing tough competition in the Leeds team due to their strong forward department.

“I thought he looked really sharp”, Redfearn said post match on BBC Radio Leeds.

“He did really well throughout the 90 minutes.

“I thought he really played his part.

“I said it before that they [Leeds] have the best four wide players in the division by a country mile and there is good competition for places.”

The Tottenham winger has started three straight league games for Leeds and has found the back of the net twice.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will look to recall him in the January transfer window.

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Tottenham Hotspur full-back Destiny Udogie believes that his team-mate Djed Spence is an incredible player and admits the two are good friends.

After initially falling out of favour with his parent club, Spence had to go out on three different loan spells to Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa.

However, an impressive pre-season with Tottenham this year helped Spence regain his place in the first team squad and he was even given a new contract by the London club.

Since then Spence has played in four Premier League games and one EFL Cup match, with the chances of his increasing his overall first-team minutes being curtailed by injury.

The 24-year-old though has left his mark on his team-mates, one of whom is Udogie, who believes that the full-back is an incredible player and a good friend.

“Obviously I think Djed is an incredible player”, Udogie said at a press conference.

“We’re really close friends, we speak a lot and try to help each other in the game.

“As everyone in the group, you have to help and I hope he can help us as much [as he can].”

Spence’s current contract is set to keep him at Tottenham until at least the summer of 2028.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has insisted that though he wants to play out from the back he does not need his goalkeepers to be Paolo Maldini or Michel Platini.

Under the 59-year-old manager, Tottenham have adopted an attacking style of football which involves playing out from the back.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has played a key role in it all but is now set to be sidelined for a significant period of time after fracturing his ankle in the 4-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

Now as the manager prepares for his side’s upcoming matches, with veteran goalkeeper Fraser Forster in his plans, he has made it clear what he wants from his goalkeepers.

“I do want to play out from the back but I don’t want them to be Maldini or Platini”, Postecoglou said at a press conference.

“I keep telling our players not to pass back to our ‘keepers because they’re the ones with gloves on.

“Hitting long kicks is actually more difficult, there’s more skill involved.

“I’m asking them to do short passes.

“It’s more taking away the risk for them and having the structure to make it a clean process.

“It’s just about changing their mindset.

Tottenham are in Europa League action on Thursday night when they welcome Claudio Ranieri’s Roma side to north London in a league stage game.

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Tottenham Hotspur out-on-loan prospect Ashley Phillips has revealed that he is learning a lot from Ben Gibson, his centre-back partner at Stoke City.

The 19-year-old centre-back is highly rated at Tottenham and joined Championship side Stoke on loan to aid his development.

Phillips has established himself as a regular starter in Narcis Pelach’s team in the Potteries and on Tuesday helped Stoke to keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against Preston North End.

The Tottenham loan star has formed a partnership with veteran Gibson in the Stoke defence and Phillips revealed that the Potters captain is someone who is vocal and guides him during games.

Phillips also added Gibson is helping him this season and admitted that he is learning a lot from the experienced centre-back.

“He is class to have, to be fair”, Phillips told Stoke City TV.

“He is a top, top centre-back and he is a great leader.

“It is nice to have someone who talks a lot next to you and helps through the game.

“He is definitely helping me this season and I have learned a lot from him.”

The Spurs loanee missed the early part of the season due to an injury and he is now determined to perform his best to keep his spot in Pelach’s starting line-up.

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Former Scotland Under-21s attacker Tam McManus is of the view that Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is too good to manage Spurs and added he should be with a team like Barcelona.

This season, Postecoglou has received criticism from former players for Tottenham’s inconsistent form in the Premier League.

However, on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium to register their second win over the Sky Blues this season.

McManus, who has closely monitored Postecoglou since his time with Celtic, was impressed with Spurs’ display and pointed out that he cannot believe that some of the Spurs supporters wanted him to get sacked.

He also claimed that Postecoglou is too good to be a manager of Tottenham and thinks he should be with a team of the stature of Barcelona.

“I love big Ange, I love him”, McManus said on PLZ Soccer.

“I am so glad that he won that [game against Manchester City].

“Some Spurs fans unbelievably wanted him sacked.

“He is too good for Spurs.

“Should be at Barcelona or something.”

Tottenham have managed to climb up to sixth place with their win over Manchester City at the weekend and it remains to be seen if he can guide Spurs into the top four.

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Barnsley boss Darnell Clarke has admitted that it will be strange for Tottenham Hotspur loanee Matty Craig to face his identical twin brother Michael Craig tonight.

Both the Craig brothers were in the Spurs youth academy from 2015 to 2022 before Michael was snapped up by Reading, while Matty continued on his journey at the club.

Matty is on loan at League One side Barnsley this season and has played 15 matches for the Oakwell club already.

Tonight, Barnsley are set to face Reading in League One and Clarke revealed that they joked with Matty that they signed the wrong brother.

The Barnsley boss admitted that facing his identical twin will be a strange one for the Spurs loan star tonight.

“That was joked with Matty early on in the season about that we signed the wrong brother, jokingly”, Clarke said at a press conference about Matty.

“Matty is a great lad, we can see how he has been brought up, that he has had a really good upbringing, a real professional lad.

“Obviously his brother is in the opposite team, which will be a bit strange for him.”

Matty, though, has not featured in Barnsley’s last two matches at all.

He will be hoping to get some minutes on the pitch against his brother Michael tonight.