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Celtic left it late to secure the three points against Aberdeen on Sunday afternoon in what proved to be a nervy affair for Neil Lennon’s side.

The title chasing outfit, buoyed by a set of midweek results which enabled them to extend their lead at the top of the SPFL to ten points, were far from their imperious best but they managed to get over the line courtesy of Kristoffer Ajer’s 81st minute winner.

The Norway international sent the travelling fans into raptures as the dream of clinching nine in a row edged ever closer, but the euphoria of the occasion didn’t prevent some fans from criticising a handful of individuals.

Despite providing the assist for the winning strike, James Forrest wasn’t impervious to criticism and a handful of fans slammed his display.

Though they mentioned the fact he ultimately provided a moment of quality to win the game, they felt he was an anonymous presence throughout proceedings.

However, plenty of fans were disappointed to see the 28-year-old receive such damning verdicts on social media.

Indeed, they were eager to point out his game changing contribution as reason enough to spare him from criticism, while one alluded to his historic importance in enabling the club to carve out their dominance in Scottish football.

Finally, one fan was left baffled by a fellow Bhoy on Twitter who suggested the club could improve if Forrest was replaced.

Given the Scotland international already has 16 goals and 20 assists this season, it’s easy to sympathise with the passionate response…

In other Celtic news, many fans couldn’t believe what one player did vs Aberdeen…

There is no doubt Jose Mourinho has reignited something at Spurs that was missing in the final stages of Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure. While Tottenham have picked up the third highest amount of points in the Premier League (26) since he took charge, only behind Liverpool (32) and Manchester City, there are still a lot of things the Portuguese has been unable to repair at his new club.

Football FanCast looks at three key Spurs problems Mourinho is still yet to fix…

Defensive errors

Tottenham’s 7-2 defeat at home to Bayern Munich under Pochettino was a clear indication that defensive shortcomings needed immediate addressing in the Mourinho era, but individual errors are becoming a real problem.

While three out of four clean sheets that Tottenham have claimed this season have been under  Mourinho, the Tottenham boss tellingly claimed in December that Amazon could do a full episode of their upcoming Spurs documentary on his side’s defensive problems.

Not that much has improved since, with 72% of Tottenham’s goals conceded under the Portuguese prior to Saturday’s 2-1 defeat allegedly being due to individual errors and set pieces.

Their defensive record has seen a slight improvement since Mourinho replaced Pochettino in November. Under the Argentine, Spurs had conceded two goals per game across all competitions this season, whereas Mourinho’s arrival has seen this fall to 1.4.

Although this is a step in the right direction, Spurs will likely need to improve more in defence if they’re to qualify for the Champions League.

Jan Vertonghen’s future

Toby Alderweireld revealed that Mourinho was an influence on him renewing his Spurs contract after he was set to leave on a free transfer this summer, but the Portuguese is yet to have such luck with his Belgian compatriot.

Jan Vertonghen is one of the best centre-backs to ever play for the North London club yet has received a total WhoScored rating of 6.84 for the current Premier League season, which is his lowest ever in the English top flight. Perhaps hes simply past his best at the age of 32, but you can’t help but think the uncertainty over his future is somewhat linked as well.

According to Sky Sports News, the Spurs defender was keen to discuss a new contract in November following Mourinho’s arrival, however nothing has materialised one way or the other.

After being hauled off the pitch against Southampton earlier this month, Vertonghen spent

the rest of the match on the bench with his head in his hands, while he was also part of the vulnerable Spurs defence that conceded two sloppy goals against Chelsea on Saturday.

Clarity on his future, even if Vertonghen will be leaving the club in the summer, should be a must for Mourinho.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Dele Alli’s form

Dele Alli initially looked revitalised under Mourinho after finding the net just once before the turn of November in all competitions.

The England international was involved in three goals during Mourinho’s first two matches, which equalled his contribution from his last 12 games under Pochettino, and followed up in December with a strike against Manchester United.

However, things have gone south since then having scored just twice in his last 16 outings, and it looks as though not even ‘The Special One’ will be able to recover the form Alli showed during his first 18 months at Spurs.

The 23-year-old was brought off in Tottenham’s Champions League tie against RB Leipzig after failing to make any sort of impact on the match, and perhaps due to his petulant reaction then found himself dropped from the starting XI for the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Leeds United may have won on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean that fans were happy with everything they saw at Elland Road.

While the win put Leeds five points clear of third place, there were a few things to moan about.

The Whites only won by one goal despite once again dominating possession, and if it weren’t for a late save from Kiko Casilla their hard work may have only got them a point.

Of course, the blame once again landed at the feet of Patrick Bamford.

The former Middlesbrough man is now on a run of five games without finding the net, and there’s simply no excusing that when you’re in a team that creates so many chances.

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United’s xG shows just how many opportunities they’re squandering, and today was no different as 18 shots resulted in just one goal.

The fanbase are seemingly fed up of Bamford, and they took to social media to slate him after his performance against Reading.

Another section of the fanbase thought they had quite a simple solution to the problem.

Indeed, some fans think it’s about time for Jean-Kevin Augustin to take Bamford’s place as first-choice striker.

To be fair, they might be right on this one, Augustin is a man who has scored in the Champions League, while Bamford is faltering at this level, so it may be worth giving him a chance.

In other news, Leeds fans were left devastated by one huge moment against Reading.

Arsenal recovered from their Europa League disappointment against Olympiacos well, overcoming Portsmouth in the FA Cup with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Sokratis and Eddie Nketiah.Mikel Arteta will be hoping that his team will be able to use this as a springboard to show the kind of form from before that European defeat, as they had not been beaten in 2020 before that game.While they are 10th, this record has seen them get a lot closer to the European spots, sitting just five points off fifth-placed Manchester United.

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Despite West Ham United receiving a boost from their 3-1 win against Southampton, the Gunners will be seeing their game against the relegation-threatened East Londoners as an opportunity to put pressure on those above them by earning three points.

Arteta’s side also had a good result in their last Premier League outing, when they managed to beat Everton 3-2.

With Arsenal looking to build on their positive 2020 so far, here is the XI that Arteta has selected to face David Moyes’ West Ham.

It includes six changes from the win over Pompey with Pablo Mari earning his first league start. Hector Bellerin and Alexandre Lacazette only make the bench while Eddie Nketiah gets another chance to shine. Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka make up the midfield with Lucas Torreira out.

Meanwhile, FFC writers give their verdict on Arsenal’s potential summer signing.

West Brom may have stumbled a little lately with no win in three games but their defensive qualities showed on Saturday to ensure that they at least came away from Swansea with some points to boast of.

After the match fans were quick to praise Semi Ajayi, who once again displayed his worth with an impressive performance that proved Slaven Bilic was right to take the risk to buy him for £1.5m despite playing for relegated Rotheram.

The centre-back, who is now rated at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, has shown he has the temperament to play for a high-profile team challenging at the upper echelons of the division.

Ajayi has proved his effectiveness in both boxes, too, with 3.4 clearances per game and five league goals scored, with some coming against promotion rivals Leeds and Fulham.

Supporters have been full of praise for him as a result, with one suggesting he is better than the standard he is currently playing at.

The fact he has mostly kept Ahmed Hegazy out of the team also illustrates how consistent he has been, as Hegazy started 38 league games last season compared to eight this time around.

Fans have taken notice of how dependable he’s been, despite only being 26, while attributes such as his pace, which is mentioned by a supporter above, should suit him very well in the Premier League if the Midlands outfit is promoted.

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He has nine league games left to make a big difference for his side, but if he repeats his performance against the Swans then more clean sheets should follow and with those, points.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all of these obscure West Brom players…

Meanwhile, Baggies’ fans have been less accomodating of another player in the squad, a man who has split opinion following his latest display…

He has been one of Manchester United’s star performers in recent times, but the time may have come for David de Gea to finally be let go.

The Spain international arrived in the summer of 2011 for a fee in the region of £18.9m, with Sir Alex Ferguson even describing him as an “outstanding replacement for (Edwin) Van der Sar” upon the announcement of his signing.

Quite the praise indeed. But there can be no question that De Gea has more than lived up to that, winning multiple personal and team accolades in his time at Old Trafford.

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As well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year multiple times in recognition of his heroic efforts in between the sticks, he has also been a part of a Premier League winning team, and a side that has won the Europa League and FA Cup too.

But all good things must come to an end, and sadly for De Gea and United, that appears to be imminent. The Spaniard’s performances in the past couple of seasons have tailed off dramatically, with high-profile errors becoming the norm rather than the exception.

You only have to look at his howlers against Watford and Everton this season to showcase that. All in all, the 2018/2019 campaign saw him commit four errors that directly led to goals, whilst this year has already seen him make three – not the kind of form of someone who is still at the peak of his powers.

And whilst losing De Gea may previously have been a big no-no, Dean Henderson’s imperious performances on loan at Sheffield United for the second successive year makes it all the more easier for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to cut his losses on the former.

Henderson has been part of a Blades side that have conceded just 25 goals in 28 Premier League games this season – to put that into context, only champions-elect Liverpool have let in less.

Having Henderson on their books already means United don’t even have to go out and splash big money on a replacement for De Gea. It all makes it the perfect time for Solskjaer to make the tough decision on one of the Red Devils’ last remaining Ferguson signings.

Meanwhile, Man Utd swoop for this Serie A star would be a major coup.

As the footballing world continues to wait with anticipation in terms of when they will realistically be able to see their favourite teams in action again, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will no doubt look back on the season so far with a sense of satisfaction.

Having barely done anything in the transfer market last summer in terms of incomings, and watching Aaron Wan-Bissaka join Manchester United in a big-money deal, there may have been fears that the Eagles could be in for a real relegation scrap this year.

But with 29 games played, the London side find themselves 11th in the table, twelve points clear of 18th-placed Bournemouth, and just four points shy of sixth-placed Wolves. It has been a campaign of defying expectations and logic, and what has made it even more impressive, is that it hasn’t been Wilfried Zaha who has inspired such great form.

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Instead, the man who is carrying Palace on his shoulders this season, is Jordan Ayew.

The Ghana international has been firing on all cylinders, scoring eight times in the Premier League alone. To put that into context, no other Palace player has managed even half that, with the club’s next top-scorers being Patrick van Aanholt, and Zaha, who are both on three each respectively.

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

With Zaha and Christian Benteke not having their shooting boots on (the latter has managed just one top-flight goal), Ayew has been the main source of inspiration for the Eagles. As per Whoscored, his average of 1.6 shots and two dribbles per game ranks him 1st and 2nd amongst his Palace teammates, and it’s an indication of how much Hodgson’s side look to him to create a moment of magic.

Make no mistake about it, the £7.2m-rated ace has been the talisman this season, not Zaha. And it’s exactly why he should be considered untouchable this summer, and why Palace shouldn’t fear too much if former does make his departure from the club. This campaign has shown they already have a reliable goal-scorer on their hands.

Meanwhile, here’s FFC’s verdict on whether Palace should sign this ace.

In the nicest way possible, how many more opportunities does Yan Valery need to convince Ralph Hasenhuttl?

The promising right-back burst onto the scene last season under the former RB Leipzig boss, scoring eye-catching goals against Manchester United at Old Trafford and also against Tottenham at St Mary’s.

However, for whatever reason, the Frenchman has struggled to blossom.

Admittedly, he is still young at just 21 years of age, but what’s worrying is that Valery seemed to be better in his early days than he is now.

The Champigny-sur-Marne-born defender started the campaign as Hasenhuttl’s first-choice – finding himself in the starting XI for the first three games – but was then left out in the cold in favour of Cedric Soares, who had returned from Inter Milan in the summer.

Tellingly, when the Portugal international pulled out of the starting XI in a fixture away to Tottenham, Hasenhuttl opted to choose James Ward-Prowse at right-back, leaving Valery on the bench.

A viral infection kept him out for a chunk of the season, and upon his return to action, Cedric was shipped off and Kyle Walker-Peters was signed on loan.

However, when the Austrian coach entrusted Valery to start ahead of the January signing against Newcastle last time out, it was the former Rennes prospect’s mistake which allowed Allan Saint-Maximin to net a late winner – Valery tried to control the ball inside the box, rather than clear it.

Now, the future for Southampton’s No.43 is very interesting.

This summer, Hasenhuttl will lose both Cedric – who is out of contract – and also Walker-Peters, who there is no option or obligation to buy from Tottenham.

This means that Southampton will have Valery and only Valery at right-back, so can the youngster finally tackle his inconsistencies and prove that he can hold down the position for years to come?

Alternatively, the Saints could decide that they’ve had enough and seek a marquee right-back to end their problems in that department.

Quickfire Questions – Early title winners: Can you get all 13 right in 2 minutes?

One thing is for certain though – Valery’s future at St Mary’s will be worth keeping an eye on.

In other news, Southampton are leading the race to sign a long-term Hasenhuttl target who got ten assists last season…

Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a transfer link to Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard, who The Chronicle believe could be the “perfect fit” for the Magpies.

According to The Daily Star, via @NUFC360, the Tyneside outfit have identified ‘French Eddie’, as he is affectionately known by Celtic fans, as the man to solve their goalscoring woes.

The single toughest football logo quiz of all time…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Steve Bruce has reportedly held a number of video calls with the club’s transfer team in the past few weeks, and Celtic would likely accept an offer in the region of £30m, and it seems the St. James’ Park faithful believe he would be a better option than Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos, who was also linked this weekend.

The Chronicle have added their take on the links, claiming the Hoops starlet is “perfect” for Bruce’s side. Indeed, the 22 year-old links up with his teammates well, can come short or burst in behind, and most importantly he scores goals, bagging 27 in all competitions this season as well as a remarkable 19 assists, per Transfermarkt.

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Plenty of fans are excited by the links, with one member of the Toon Army hailing the “beast” while another dreamed about his link-up with fellow Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin…

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Newcastle discussion going on in the Vital Newcastle Forum! Click here to get involved!

Wolves youngster Pedro Neto has hailed his manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s coaching style and said that it is “very easy” to play under him.

In an interview with the club’s official website, the 20-year-old Portuguese attacker lauded his fellow countryman for adopting an encouraging mindset and filling him with confidence.

Neto told wolves.co.uk: “It is easy to play for him because he trusts in his players, he’s a very good manager, he encourages the players to give all that they have, and it’s been easy to play for him. I think that from outside you can see a little bit like what he is, but from inside you can see that he’s an amazing coach because the work that the team has been doing is almost the mirror of what he is.

“A lot of what I have been doing is from my work, but it’s also from the coaching that he gives me. When I arrived here, I don’t think a lot of people expected me to be doing what I am doing and this is of course about my work, but it’s a lot about the coaching and confidence he has given me.”

Neto certainly seems to have benefitted from earning Nuno’s trust at Molineux, with the youngster enjoying a five-game succession of starts in the Premier League over the winter after having to rely almost solely on substitute appearances in the first half of the season. He has repaid his manager’s faith with four goals and four assists in all competitions, including the strike that instigated the comeback from 0-2 down to beat Southampton 3-2 in January.

Indeed, the 20-year-old is very unfortunate not to have a couple of more goals to his name, having suffered from very harsh VAR calls to disallow an equaliser away to Liverpool in December and what would have been the opener away to Manchester United in the FA Cup, both of which Wolves lost 1-0.

Neto’s comment about the players giving “all they have” for their manager is reflected in how well they had been performing in the latter part of the season despite a marathon campaign which began in late July and has encompassed 48 matches in all competitions. Far from struggling to repeat last season’s seventh-place heroics, Wolves currently lie sixth in the Premier League and have made it to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Prior to the coronavirus-enforced stoppage of the season, they had lost only two of 10 games – a narrow defeat to runaway league leaders Liverpool and the second leg of their Europa League clash with Espanyol into which they took a 4-0 lead. Their other results suggest that, despite their lengthy campaign, the players were continuing to deliver committed performances under Nuno.

Results would back Neto’s claim that Nuno continues to get the best out of his players and the way in which the youngster has settled into his first season at the club at such a tender age is a very positive reflection on the manager’s confidence-building coaching style.

Whenever football is safe to resume, hopefully both player and manager can pick up where they left off and further enhance what already seems a very healthy relationship.

Wolves fans, what did you make of Neto’s praise of Nuno? Comment below with your views!