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The international break couldn’t have come at a worse time for Neil Lennon.

As the biggest game of his newest reign as Celtic manager approaches on Sunday, the gaffer’s witnessing an unnecessary defensive crisis all the sudden.

After Kieran Tierney recent pulled out of Scotland’s Euro 2020 qualifiers, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig also suffered knocks in their respective games for Belgium and Norway. With the Old Firm derby now only days away, it’ll be a race against time for Celtic’s defensive core to recover in time.

While the players will themselves will obviously be doing all they can in regaining fitness to provide befitting revenge to Rangers, rushing too hard could further aggravate their injuries. Indeed, without these three, Lennon could be facing some big problems, which is quite the conundrum.

Steven Gerrard’s side posses a scary attacking line, despite their current struggles and a loss at home might not blow the title race open, but would see the campaign end somewhat sourly.

Boyata’s been vital to maintaining a strong defensive core for the Hoops, while Tierney’s and Lustig’s knowledgable figures are required to keep Rangers’ menacing wing-play in check.

Lennon can only afford to pray to the footballing gods to help his crucial defenders recover before the crunch encounter. If they fail to do so, not being able to dominate the game won’t be Celtic’s only headache.

The Gers might actually end up running riot at Parkhead and pulling off an unthinkable double to dent Lennon’s plan of extending his managerial reign.

Celtic fans, do you think the Hoops can cope without their defensive trio against Rangers? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Tottenham Hotspur have a significant advantage over Manchester City as they prepare to take on Pep Guardiola’s men in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Spurs will face City at home on Tuesday, April 9th before the return trip on Wednesday, the 17th; thereafter, they will face them in the Premier League the following Saturday.

On the chalkboard

Spurs’ move to their new stadium has seen supporters’ excitement reach fever pitch.

They are finally free of Wembley, the corporate national stadium, and there is ebullience at the club surrounding their chances of reaching the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition.

Mauricio Pochettino, speaking at half-time of Sunday’s first test event, a clash between Spurs’ Under-18 team and their Southampton counterparts, expressed just that belief.

He said, via the Daily Star: “We know we have a massive challenge in the quarter-final of the Champions League but with all our fans, 62,000 people behind us, we can make possible our dream to be in the semi-final. Why not?

“This is our new house, our new home, and it’s going to be magic. White Hart Lane was magic, but this is going to be one of the best in the world.When it starts to feel like home, it will be unbelievable. I really believe the future of the club is going to be fantastic.”

Spurs, all of a sudden, have a very real opportunity to achieve history.

They have never before progressed beyond the last eight of the Champions League but, with the stadium open, and Wembley shed, there is a very real possibility that the stars could align for Spurs.

Indeed, in their last two “home” meetings with City, both at Wembley, Spurs have lost, first by a score of 3-1 in April 2018 and secondly by a score of 1-0 in October 2018.

In their final clash with City at White Hart Lane, Spurs ran out 2-0 winners in 2016. In 2015, too, they won 4-1 at home.

Atmosphere versus atmosphere

City’s atmosphere is hardly ferocious.

A widely-seen clip on Twitter showed fans “celebrating” a goal in the 7-0 thumping of Schalke 04 in the last round of the Champions League. That there were no limbs, as is common parlance on social media, is something of an understatement.

Spurs, by comparison, produced a remarkable atmosphere in the 3-0 win over Dortmund at Wembley, roaring their team to a phenomenal result.

That can only get better in The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as it is currently known.

City crashed out of the competition last season in front of a frenzied Liverpool crowd at Anfield.

History could well repeat itself this season. Of course, the second leg of the tie is at the Etihad Stadium. But, as we have established, that is unlikely to strike fear into any Spurs player’s heart.

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Tottenham managed to recover from a late Mo Salah goal to clinch a 2-2 draw at Anfield last season but they had no such luck on this occasion after the Egyptian’s header inadvertently found its way into the net via a combination of Hugo Lloris and Toby Alderweireld.

It was a gut-wrenching result for the visitors to accept and a priceless and potentially title-deciding one for the jubilant hosts.

In the aftermath of proceedings, there were plenty of intriguing reactions to dissect from both players and managers.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a handful of some of the most thought-provoking and pertinent quotes from the weekend.

Moussa Sissoko

Moussa Sissoko was at the core of Tottenham’s attacking endeavours as the game progressed, with his intelligent one-twos and engine allowing him to cut through the core of Liverpool’s midfield.

In a turn of events which seemed tailor-made for Sissoko to complete his incredible transition into a Spurs hero, the all-action midfielder blazed over with a wild left-footed strike.

In the aftermath of the game, Sissoko took the fall for his teammates (via RMC Sport): “I blame myself for this defeat.” 

Noble, selfless and humble, his words are refreshing and rare in the modern game. Some fans, of course, will be inclined to share his sentiments, while plenty of sympathisers will instead unleash the full force of their anger at Lloris.

Nobody actually expected you to score anyway, Moussa.

Hugo Lloris

Speaking of Lloris, there is an element of Déjà vu in the post-match comments from the Spurs stopper.

Just as his compatriot did, the Frenchman appeared to accept responsibility for the defeat after his mistake resulted in the dramatic winning goal (via Sky Sports).

“When you are a goalkeeper, you know the responsibility. It’s like this. Of course you question yourself

“The good thing is that you know there is another game in three days, so you need to switch off about today and prepare the next game. I think it’s the best way to forget.

“I tried to catch the ball twice but unfortunately there was no bounce, it bounced straight to the shin of Toby, and then what happened, happened. The luck was probably on the opponent’s side today.”

Another Spursy moment provided by Lloris on the big stage.

How many chances will he get before Pochettino’s patience runs empty?

Jurgen Klopp

Klopp is a manager who has been celebrated for his ‘heavy metal’ brand of ruthless counter-attacking football, but Liverpool’s title challenge has notably been built on their ability to win ugly when the roaring heavy metal approach has struggled to hit the right notes.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Klopp had something to say about how his side’s style has differed this season.

“It feels like we always have to apologise a little bit that because of the football last season and stuff like that, because people always want the 100 per cent package.

“We had to find a way to win football games much more often than in the past. So until now it kind of worked, we didn’t score less goals than last year, I think. I don’t have the numbers in my mind but for sure not a lot. It’s all good.”

As Klopp has alluded to, as long as the points keep flowing there’s no reason to criticise the aesthetics behind the results, especially at this stage in the season.

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino was very much interested in underlining the fact that Tottenham’s Champions League hopes rest in their hands, while some special praise was reserved for a group of players who have been operating under unprecedented circumstances (via Sky Sports).

“Now we start a mini-league, with seven games ahead, in the top four it is in our hands. With all the circumstances happening this season, they are more than heroes, and we need to keep the trust and confidence, and of course we are going to fight to be in the Champions League.”

If Spurs manage to maintain their place in the top-four and overcome Manchester City in the semi-final of the Champions League, the season will have to be regarded as a resounding success.

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Southampton picked up where they left off for the international break on Saturday as they emerged 1-0 victors of a difficult clash with Brighton, in which Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg claimed the winner. The Saints captain showed his credentials as such with his comments on Nathan Redmond post-match and the fans are loving it.

Former Norwich man Redmond teed up Hojbjerg just after the restart, bursting forward and releasing the Dane on the overlap, before he found a way past Mat Ryan in net for the Seagulls despite the angle narrowing by the millisecond.

Having been made permanent captain in December when Ralph Hasenhuttl took the helm, former Bayern Munich man Hojbjerg has been an ever-present in the starting XI and is showcasing his excellent leadership skills on a weekly basis.

His recent words on Redmond and the speedster’s performance have gone down very well with the St Mary’s faithful.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

You can see what the 23-year-old and the adoring Saints fans had to say below…

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Southampton’s excellent performances of late haven’t gone unnoticed by the Premier League high-ups who decided that Ralph Hasenhuttl should be nominated for March’s Manager of the Month award.

The Austrian has done a fantastic job at St Mary’s Stadium since being appointed in December and, regardless of what the table indicates, it now looks near impossible that the Saints will join Fulham and Huddersfield in relegation to the second tier.

The days of boring, unattractive football under Mark Hughes are long gone, replaced by high-tempo, high quality performances that have been getting the results they deserve, and the fans surely couldn’t be happier with how their 2019 has gone.

A Southampton fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the Saints in the video below…

Wins over Spurs and Brighton in recent weeks, as well as a near miss at Old Trafford, have launched the Saints away from the drop zone and nobody can argue that Hasenhuttl doesn’t deserve the nomination. You can find the best of the reaction from the Southampton faithful below…

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Huddersfield fans are split as to whether or not Frazier Campbell would be a good signing as the club prepares for life in the Championship next season.

According to the Hull Daily Mail, the Terriers have made Campbell one of their summer targets.

The former Manchester United striker has been plying his trade for Hull City this term and has netted a respectable 12 goals in 36 appearances for the Tigers as well as providing six assists.

Despite Campbell’s solid return in the second tier, Huddersfield fans have been split as to whether or not he would be worth bringing in to the John Smith’s Stadium.

The striker is enjoying a good campaign but Terrier’s fans may have doubts over his abilities due to his poor goalscoring record in seasons gone by.

Campbell is originally from Huddersfield so he may be tempted to move to his local team and aid them in their quest to return to the Premier League.

Here’s what Huddersfield fans have been saying on Twitter…

Who has been the Premier League’s most disappointing performer this season? The Pl>maker FC have their say in the video below…

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There’s no escaping the fact we’re enduring a race row in English football. Recently, Premier League players such as Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose have experienced racist abuse from supporters on the field, prompting the former to call for point-deductions and the latter to admit he “can’t wait to see the back of football”.  

What’s more, Chelsea fans have been reprimanded for racist chanting towards Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and Troy Deeney has encountered racist trolls on his social media.

It may be argued that because of this reemerging deplorable prejudice, the game we so lovingly laud as beautiful is now turning ugly.

However, Newcastle United’s current ‘United as One’ campaign has sought to bring back the beauty of football, laying down a marker for all football clubs in the process.

The new brand identity, which was launched by the club on Saturday during their Premier League game against Southampton at St James’ Park, seeks to bring fans, players, staff and representatives alike together, linking all of the club’s work in the fields of diversity, inclusion and welfare.

During Saturday’s game, Newcastle players wore a black and white solidarity ribbon on their shirts and the pre-match build-up featured a passionate speech from ex-player Shola Ameobi, who has become one of a ‘starting eleven’ United As One ambassadors.

He joins current captain Jamaal Lascelles, midfielder Ki Sung-yueng and eight supporters, who were special guests at Saturday’s match.

I attended the game myself, and the atmosphere generated within the ground was something to behold; fans in the gallowgate unveiled a flag reading “Things aren’t always black and white. United as one against prejudice” and the pitch side screens displayed messages of solidarity throughout the match.

This filled St James’ with a palpable energy of positivity which evidently transpired onto the pitch, as the players performed with the exact togetherness that the campaign encourages – helping them to a resounding 3-1 victory over their Southern counterparts.  

The new initiative speaks volumes for how Premier League clubs can react to, and help prevent, discriminatory behaviour in terms of recognising their societal and cultural responsibility. Speaking to NUFC.com, Newcastle’s Managing Director Lee Charnley said:

“We are proud of the work we are doing to improve inclusion and welfare at our club.

“With great support from the players, staff, supporters, sponsors and the Premier League, we are working to cultivate a culture as varied as that of the great city we are honoured to represent.”

Newcastle have been renowned for underachieving, with business tycoon owner Mike Ashley and his sidekick-in-tow Lee Charnley diminishing past glory days through their failure to connect properly with fans and invest in the club.

This has meant the Magpies have endured some tricky seasons, failing to compete with the top half of the table for sustained periods and often flirting with relegation – much like this campaign.

However, whilst they can be accused of profusely preventing the club from achieving the things it so readily desires on the field, the club’s hierarchy must be commended for this progressive campaign that polishes the club’s off-field reputation and sets the bar high for other Premier League outfits.

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It took years for unhappy Arsenal fans to dislodge Arsene Wenger from his throne but less than a full season later, some are calling for cutthroat revolution once again.

The Gunners suffered a third consecutive Premier League loss on Sunday, this time at the hands of Leicester City, having conceded three goals in each of them.

The controversial sending off of Ainsley Maitland-Niles no doubt played a part in the 3-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium, but that hasn’t been enough to quell the emotions of disillusioned Arsenal fans.

Indeed, #EmeryOut has been doing the rounds on Twitter and it appears, even after less than one full season and even though Arsenal could end it by winning the Europa League, there is a strong section of Gunners followers who already want manager Unai Emery to be sacked.

Here’s a quick look at what Arsenal supporters have been saying on Twitter following the defeat to the Foxes…

Another game, another failed attacking combination for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Granted, Manchester United displayed a lot of heart during their unfortunate draw against Chelsea, but the final product was lacking throughout the game.

Ever since arriving at United, the Norwegian’s emphasized his intentions to promote from within. The Man United way, and all that. Indeed, he’s clearly a big believer in youth and has already given many youngsters the opportunities to shine through. One particular one he’s presumably protecting is the brilliant Mason Greenwood, whose only made substitute appearances under his watch.

While one can understand him not exposing such a young talent to the high standards of the Premier League, right now, there’s nothing more to lose this season. United have some relatively easy fixtures in the next few weeks and with Marcus Rashford suffering a knock, that limits his attacking options even more.

It’s time to bring the 17-year-old to the centre-stage. Greenwood’s been in impeccable form for United’s youth teams, having scored 25 goals in 28 games this season. An excellent striker of the ball, he’s been dubbed (by fans, granted) the next Robin van Persie by sharing a similar style.

Now, he should be given the chance to prove the comparison.

If given enough support, Greenwood can cause both Huddersfield Town as well as Cardiff City problems. He’s quick, can finish chances easily and much like Rashford in 2015, is brimming with confidence.

It’s high time he starts a game or two to prove exactly why he’s being dubbed the next big thing for the Red Devils.

United fans, do you want to see Greenwood in the next two games? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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West Ham United could lose Declan Rice to Atletico Madrid this summer, according to a report from El Gol Digital.

What’s the word?

Rice has emerged as a genuine star at West Ham this season.

He has played 37 times in all competitions and has even earned two England caps, playing against both the Czech Republic and Montenegro in Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Still just 20, the report claims that Manchester United are also interested in Rice, though the Liga club are seeking a replacement to Thomas Partey, who could leave this summer. Manchester City are touted as potential suitors.

Rice, valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, is seen as a potential signing, along with the likes of Wolves star Ruben Neves and Porto’s Danilo Pereira.

The Hammers have two games of the season remaining, with Rice likely to play against both Southampton and Watford.

It remains to be seen if he will also be involved in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the latter stages of the UEFA Nations League, with a semi-final against the Netherlands to come in June.

Best-case scenario

This is the best-case scenario for the Hammers if Rice does leave.

A switch to United would surely see fans turn on both David Gold and David Sullivan, the co-chairmen of the club, with another star sold to a rival.

But a move to Atletico, while painful, would see Rice develop as a player in Spain, away from the eyes of Irons’ supporters.

Of course, Rice leaving at all would hurt the Hammers, such has been his growth under Pellegrini.

But Gold and Sullivan should ensure that this reported switch to Atleti comes off, particularly if a transfer becomes inevitable this summer.