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Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard, ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards has claimed that summer signing Joe Hart is ‘exactly’ what Spurs need ahead of the upcoming Premier League season, going on to state that he is an ‘inspirational’ character who could motivate the dressing room. 

Hart has gone to enjoy an illustrious career with plenty of highs and lows since he signed for the Sky Blues from Shrewsbury Town back in 2006, winning five major trophies, including two Premier League titles, and making 348 appearances for the club before parting company in the summer of 2018 (Transfermarkt).

After being deemed surplus to requirements by manager Pep Guardiola upon his arrival in 2016, who was after a sweeper ‘keeper who could help implement his tiki-taka philosophy, Hart suffered through a less than impressive spell at Burnley before being allowed to leave the club as a free agent.

Pleading to new clubs in a BBC interview, Spurs opted to give Hart a chance, snapping him up on a free deal.

Richards, who helped City to their first Premier League triumph in 2012 along with Hart, has now stated that he is ‘exactly’ what the club need if Tottenham are going to cement a top four place and challenge for silverware.

“He won’t be going as a No3 [goalkeeper],” Richards explained to Standard Sport.

“He knows he’s going to be No2, that’s the reason he has gone there. Joe is an inspirational character. I couldn’t speak any higher [of him]. When he was England keeper he was always knocking on your door.

“When I was at City, there were big characters. For Spurs, that is exactly what they need. Every time they get to a big game they freeze a little bit.

“They have the quality but it is just the characters to get them over the line. Joe Hart, whether playing or in the dressing room, is a massive character.”

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Whether or not the 75-cap international proves to be a coup remains to be seen, but signing an experienced motivator like Hart on a free transfer could be deemed a good bit of business from Levy.

Spurs fans, is Joe Hart ‘exactly’ what you need? Have your say in the comments below…

Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to hammer Sadio Mane for his performance against Atletico Madrid.

The reigning European champions crashed out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage after Diego Simeone’s side scored three goals in extra-time at Anfield, kick-started by Adrian’s howler which allowed Marcos Llorente to open the Atletico floodgates.

While the Spanish glovesman is the obvious target for criticism, the Reds supporters on Twitter have actually taken aim at Mane for his display.

The 61-cap Senegal international only got one of his five shots on target, while also failing to see any of his five attempted crosses come off successfully.

The former Southampton star also lost possession 31 times, and won only 12 of 22 ground duels he partook in.

Mane also attempted a couple of overhead kicks when it seemed easier to score in more traditional fashion, and ultimately, his woes in front of goal cost Liverpool a place in the quarter-finals.

Let’s see what a lot of supporters on Twitter have been saying about the 27-year-old…

To kick off the reaction, these four fans were seen hammering Mane on Twitter – one said he was just as bad as Adrian, while another said that he hardly beats defenders one on one.

That latter point could be deemed a valid one, as the Senegalese forward only managed to complete five of his attempted ten dribbles against Atletico Madrid on a night where he struggled to make things happen.

Another said that it was painful to watch the No.10 play against Simeone’s men – in fairness to this fan, it was quite frustrating to watch the attacker squander his opportunities, while he was also dribbled past twice and complete just 64% of his passes.

Elsewhere, some more fans took aim at the ex-RB Salzburg player.

While he wasn’t incredible on Wednesday evening by any means, Mane has been involved in 30 goals in just 38 appearances this season, scoring 18 while grabbing 12 assists.

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If anyone deserves a pass for an underwhelming performance, it is the Senegal international.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

However, that isn’t to say that these supporters are wrong to aim their frustrations at him on this occasion.

In other news, The Athletic’s James Pearce has embarked on a rant towards Simeone and Atletico Madrid…

Charlton Athletic U18s found themselves 3-2 down against West Ham United in the FA Youth Cup with just moments left in the game.

That is before Jeremy Santos provided what has to be described as a wonderful effort to bring the scores back level.

Having cut inside from the right, he passed the ball to a teammate before getting it back, pirouetting past one West Ham defender, nipping in ahead of another to retrieve the ball and stick it in the top corner.

Many Charlton fans were impressed by the skill involved in getting the equaliser, with one calling it “goal of the season”.

The goal wasn’t only aesthetically pleasing though, as the score stayed at 3-3, taking the game to extra time and then a penalty shootout.

Santos scored the first of Charlton’s spot-kicks in the shootout off the post, setting the Addicks on their way to winning it 5-4.

This has led to some fans suggesting he could end up being involved with the first-team soon due to the quality that was on show.

The stance comes with 19-year-old James Vennings having occupied Lee Bowyer’s bench against Hull City, while also getting onto the pitch against Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town.

Quickfire Quiz: Premier League experts will get 100%…

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One fan has even suggested he should be included in the squad to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

In other news, one Charlton man reminded Lee Bowyer of his worth against Hull.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It’s definitely not easy to succeed at Real Madrid, regardless of how talented or how skilled a certain player is.

And this becomes an even taller task for all the youngsters trying to find their place in the Galacticos’ lineup.

Trusting in youth is a crucial part of every club’s development and even though Zinedine Zidane has been giving some of his young talents a shot every once in a while, many are still left with not quite as much game time as they probably would have liked.

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One such talent is the Whites’ 23-year-old right-back, Alvaro Odriozola.

After just a year of playing for the seniors in the domestic top-flight, the Spaniard arrived at Real Madrid from Real Sociedad back in the summer of 2018.

But even with limited La Liga exposure and not a lot of experience under his belt, Odriozola’s talents were on full display.

In the 57 games he played for La Real, he managed to score once and tally an impressive nine assists in the process. For a young player who was at the beginning of his career and making his first steps in the big league, that was impressive.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

But the best thing is that he continued the trend with Los Blancos as well, often performing well whenever he was called into action.

So far, he has mustered 25 appearances for the Galacticos and already has a goal and 10 assists to his name, which is more than what he tallied with Sociedad in more than double the games.

Similarly, he was called into action three times in the 2019/20 La Liga season and not only did Real Madrid register a win in all three games but Odriozola also managed to bag an assist as well.

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By all accounts, Zidane might have a gem in his squad and he absolutely has to make sure he doesn’t go to waste.

Of course, it’s difficult to see the 23-year-old usurping Daniel Caravajal’s spot right away but the future looks to be set either way.

Besides, it might not be a bad idea for Zidane to rotate his squad just a bit and let the youngsters get a taste as well.

Odriozola won’t disappoint. That much we’ve seen already.

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Rangers TV has released a mini-documentary following the 4-0 mauling of Marseille, and the supporters can’t get enough of it.

The Gers have produced a behind the scenes look at what goes on at Ibrox on match days, showing the players arriving, preparing and finally stepping out on to the pitch for their friendly victory over the Ligue 1 side.

Steven Gerrard’s men ran out as comfortable 4-0 winners over Andre Villas-Boas’ side, who were also beaten by Accrington Stanley last week. No, seriously, that’s not a joke.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

A Daniel Candeias double as well as strikes from Jermain Defoe and Connor Goldson gave Gerrard’s men the impressive victory. The game was also notable for the return of Jamie Murphy after 11 months out with a knee injury.

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The friendly victory came in between games against St. Joseph’s in the Europa League qualifiers. Rangers are well placed to go through to the second round having won 4-0 in Gibraltar.

These fans have taken to Twitter to display their admiration for the interesting documentary…

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Leeds United fans have rallied around and are getting behind their team after Andrea Radrizzani posted a defiant tweet against the EFL.

The Italian fired back after it was announced that Conor Hourihane wouldn’t be punished after he seemingly punched Mateusz Klich during Sunday’s game. Radrizzani posted: “Speechless!! …Nothing will stop us.”

The statement “Nothing will stop us” has seemingly united the fanbase who have now given backing to the owner and the team, willing them on to win promotion to the Premier League.

Sunday’s altercation may have severely affected Leeds’ playoff chances after Anwar El Ghazi’s red card was rescinded and Patrick Bamford instead received a two-game ban.

The Whites now head into the playoffs without the striker, whilst Aston Villa can continue their momentum with a fully available squad.

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Supporters now have an extra incentive to get into the Premier League in order to get away from the EFL, an establishment that the Elland Road faithful have often taken issue with.

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

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long unbeaten run since he took charge of Manchester United came to an end as his team were beaten 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie at Old Trafford on Tuesday, and Liverpool fans were quick to react to midfielder Marco Verratti’s display.

The 26-year-old actually missed out on facing the Merseyside club at Anfield in the group stages of the competition earlier this season because of suspension, but he showed exactly what he brings to proceedings against the Red Devils.

The Italy international produced a tireless display full of tackles and using the ball well when he had it, and once again proved he is one of the best in his position in European football as the Ligue 1 leaders took a step closer to the quarter-finals.

Liverpool supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on Verratti’s performance, and while one said they would “love to have him at Liverpool”, another said “if there’s one player I would want us to break the bank for, it’s Marco Veratti.”

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Jurgen Klopp has gotten quite inventive with his excuses this season. FFC’s James Jones think he has no one but himself to blame for Liverpol’s poor form in the video below…

Everton have reportedly been keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and a move at the end of the season, when the England international is out of contract at Old Trafford, could very well be on the cards.

As reported by the Sun, Smalling is currently busy negotiating a possible extension at United, but could be tempted by a move to Everton with Marco Silva particularly keen on pinning him down. Although the Red Devils have the option of keeping Smalling for a further 12 months, Everton are set to put a proper offer in-front of him with Silva already having sent scouts to United games to monitor him.

Smalling had a lot of up and down performances so far this season but has been at the heart of a United team that has experienced similar results. The instability of the team has been blamed on a lot of individuals part of the club, but it is almost certain that the ownership would back manager José Mourinho with the necessary funds in the next two transfer markets to sign the defenders he didn’t get in the summer.

That could play a key role in Smalling’s decision making, opening the door for Silva to offer him a spot in the Everton first team. The former Watford boss has mostly opted for a centre-back pairing of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma, while Yerry Mina made his debut on Sunday against Chelsea next to Keane.

The Toffees seem to have found their form in recent matches but would like to build a solid base for next season and the addition of Smalling could add a lot of experience for Silva to try and challenge for a European and possible Champions League spot.

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With Zouma only on-loan at Everton, the chances are big that they might experience a shortage of centre-backs when next season gets underway. But with Smalling in the squad, Silva would be able to experiment as to who would be his best combination alongside Keane and Mina.

Loads of Everton fans have been running the rule over their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, and plenty are calling for Lucas Digne to replace Leighton Baines.

Everton may finally get themselves the first spot on Match Of The Day tonight, as the Toffees played out a thrilling draw against Bournemouth.

The major talking point of the match was of course the red card for Richarlison, who was given his marching orders after leaning his head in towards Adam Smith.

Smith was later sent off himself, and the Cherries then fought back from two goals down in a ten against ten encounter.

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The first Bournemouth goal came from a penalty, which was given when Baines clumsily nudged Callum Wilson over in the box.

While it was a very soft decision, fans aren’t impressed with Baines’ performance, and it looks like the veteran left back could be on his last legs.

Baines is a fan favourite at Goodison and for good reason, but with summer signing Digne waiting in the wings, fans are calling for Marco Silva to make a brave call and drop the 33 year-old.

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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

James Milner has not always been the biggest fan favourite at Liverpool during his two-and-a-half-year stay at the club.

The 32-year-old has spent the majority of his career playing as a winger, but upon moving to Anfield, he admitted that he had a desire to play more centrally in midfield.

During his time at Liverpool, the experienced player has been asked to take on various positions.

Last season, the former Manchester City man was used at left-back ahead of Alberto Moreno.

In the current campaign, manager Jurgen Klopp has not always included Milner in the first XI, but in recent performances, the midfielder has impressed.

In total, Milner has started just 15 games in all competitions, but in his last two outings he played the full 90 minutes.

In an interview with the club’s official website, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sung the praises of his hardworking teammate.

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A large number of Liverpool fans agreed with the sentiments, and some feel that Milner is not given enough credit.

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