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Tottenham Hotspur fans have criticised Danny Rose after The Daily Mail reported that he played a prominent role in organising a dinner for manager Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff.

The report states that the left-back was at the centre of a plan to invite the Argentine and his backroom team to the Mayfair restaurant, Novikov.

Spurs, of course, have been in appalling form throughout the opening of the 2019/20 Premier League season, winning just three of their opening 10 games.

Pochettino’s side have also struggled in the Champions League, drawing 2-2 with Olympiacos and losing 7-2 to Bayern Munich, though they did beat Red Star Belgrade 5-0 last week.

And fans have rounded on Rose, insisting that he should focus on improving as a player instead of trying to arrange meals behind-the-scenes.

Thus far this season, the 29-year-old, valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 10 appearances, registering one assist; he is suspended for the clash with Everton this weekend after collecting five yellow cards in the top-flight.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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…

Real Madrid’s only blockbuster signing of the 2019 summer transfer window ended up being Eden Hazard.

Los Blancos reportedly had to spend a total of £89m to land their Belgian winger and snatch him away from Chelsea. And that figure might rise an additional £60m if certain bonuses are met along the way.

That much money would definitely put high expectations on any player, let alone one of Hazard’s pedigree and reputation.

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Most probably don’t need reminding that Hazard scored 110 goals in 352 games playing for the Blues.

But so far, Hazard has been taking quite a lot of time to fully adjust to life in Spain.

And yes, he finally netted his first goal at the club against Granada just last weekend but even with that strike, his performance was mostly underwhelming, at least for a player of his stature and especially for a player with such a huge price tag hanging above his head.

Apart from that goal, he also recorded only one key pass, one shot on target and just one dribble. Granted, that one shot on target ended up rattling the inside of Granada’s net but it wouldn’t really be a stretch to say the 28-year-old will have to find his groove sooner rather than later.

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

Real Madrid wait for no one, regardless of your price tag, your name or your supposed skills.

We know what Hazard is capable of and Zidane knows it as well. But the forward’s numbers have simply not been up the standard he’s supposed to be and that is definitely affecting the team as a whole.

So far, in the 2019/20 La Liga season, Hazard has tallied one shot, 1.3 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game.

By all accounts, those are not really impressive figures. It has to be noted, however, that he only played in a total of four games in the competition, courtesy of that unlucky injury early on in the campaign.

But even so, saying that he was probably expected to hit the ground running sounds about right.

So far, he hasn’t done anything of note in the white shirt for Real and he will have to start racking up those performances pretty soon.

This might only be the start of his career in La Liga but the clock is already ticking.

Liverpool flattered to deceive against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Before going into the big game against the Red Devils, they had won their previous eight Premier League matches, and they were hoping to take their lead over Manchester City back to eight points after the Citizens beat Crystal Palace on Saturday.

However, the Reds put in a lacklustre performance against their big rivals, and were perhaps fortunate to earn a draw late on thanks to Adam Lallana’s equaliser. It was the former Southampton man’s first goal since May 2017, and he came on from the bench to replace captain Jordan Henderson.

The former Sunderland man has played each game in central midfield this term, yet at some point at the start of the second half he looked to playing on the right instead. This is something that perplexed the Merseyside outfit’s supporters.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Daniel Arzani is not the only Aussie on the way back to full fitness at Celtic Park, and even as he faces a battle to get into the starting line-up his countryman – who last season may have expected to come straight back in with his place waiting for him – is in a similar battle, and that’s something he might not be used to in the Celtic side.

Tom Rogic has been a Celtic stalwart for the last few seasons.

Even in an injury plagued campaign last season he made 39 appearances and scored 6 goals.

The season before that he featured in 50 games and scored 8.

He once had a claim to be a guaranteed first pick.

Not anymore, because there’s a new player in his position, and the battle between the two of them is going to be interesting to say the least, and Celtic might well be the prime beneficiaries of that. It is always good when two quality players are duking it out for a place in the team.

Ryan Christie is a born again footballer at the club.

Signed in the summer window of 2015, whilst Ronny Deila was at the club, he didn’t even arrive before being sent back on loan for the season with Inverness.

But an injury in November that year brought him back to Celtic to work with the physios and he actually made his debut on 23 January 2016.

What followed was a largely frustrating spell at the club, making only a handful of appearances in Rodgers first campaign before he was sent out on loan again, to Aberdeen.

There, he proved what a player he was with goals and assists helping them to the Scottish Cup Final of 2017, but he was unable to play in the match because it was against Celtic.

He returned to Aberdeen for the whole of the 2017-18 campaign.

Fans would have been entitled to wonder if he would ever again pull on a Celtic shirt.

But he came back to the club for the start of the following season, and once again seemed to fade into obscurity.

And then Celtic played Hearts at Murrayfield in the League Cup semi-final.

It was 0-0 at half time, and Rodgers was forced into a change because Olivier Ntcham pulled his hamstring.

Christie came on as a substitute and changed the game, scoring one and playing a role in both the other goals as Celtic ran out 3-0 winners.

He has never looked back.

He played 40 games in all last season and scored 11 times.

This season, he’s already got 8 in all competitions … a hugely impressive return.

Both he and Rogic are similar footballers, but they can play in the same side.

Yet in Lennon’s preferred system there seems to be room for only one, in the “hole” behind the striker, where either player is deadly effective.

With both now fit, Lennon has a big decision to make.

Scottish football waits with baited breath for what he comes up with … either way, Celtic’s rivals might not like the answer very much.

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Some Celtic fans have taken to Twitter to slam James Forrest for his performance in the 1-1 draw against Hibernian.

The 28-year-old was making his seventh league start of the campaign, having already netted two goals in the Scottish Premiership so far this season – Forrest has eight goals in all competitions for the Bhoys this term.

However, he wasn’t at his best against Hibernian.

The Scotland international was subbed off in the 84th minute of what was a disappointing draw, a result which has allowed Rangers to make up some ground in the title race.

Kristoffer Ajer’s own goal in the eighth minute opened the scoring, before Ryan Christie’s 11th goal of the campaign levelled things up on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately for Neil Lennon’s side however, they could not find a second goal, with some fans pointing the finger at Forrest.

One supporter said that the forward was “well off it” against Hibs, whereas another said that he should be dropped.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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Tony Cascarino has ripped into Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge in his latest The Times column following the striker’s cameo against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds missed the opportunity to extend their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings as they were held to a goalless draw against the Red Devils.

Sturridge wasn’t actually named in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI but he replaced the injured Roberto Firmino just after the half-hour mark against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but failed to make much of an impact in the final third.

Speaking to The Times, Cascarino said: “Daniel Sturridge was shocking when he came on and Mohamed Salah looked out of sorts.”

The 29-year-old was making his 21st appearance of the season for the Merseyside outfit, and he has scored four goals and provided a further assist.

Is he right?

While in some ways he may well have been right, it’s not exactly as though Liverpool were at their attacking best against United and Sturridge was simply the weak link.

The usually reliable duo of Sadio Mane and Salah also struggled to do what we have all seen them do so often before, and therefore it seems harsh to blame the England striker on this particular occasion.

It is never easy to come on in a game of this magnitude where both sides are largely cancelling each other out, and Cascarino should cut the former Chelsea and Manchester City man some slack.

Sturridge is still one of the best back-up centre-forwards in the Premier League, and he can still have a big part to play during the title run-in.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Crystal Palace prodigy Nikola Tavares has heaped praise on summer signing Stephen Henderson for his impact on the younger players at Selhurst Park.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper signed for the Eagles on a season-long deal this summer as the south Londoners’ new third-choice stopper, after club legend Julian Speroni departed at the end of the last campaign.

Naturally, Henderson is yet to play a competitive first-team game, instead spending time with Richard Shaw’s Under-23 side, and Tavares – who started on the bench in Palace’s 5-3 win over Bournemouth last term – has heaped praise on the former Charlton Athletic man.

What did he say?

Tavares told football.london: “Hendo [Stephen Henderson] for example is good at communicating and he’s not afraid to tell you when he thinks you’re not doing something right, which is exactly what most of us need.

“Once he says it to you or if he gives you some advice on the pitch then you feel like you can pass that to someone else.”Figure of fun amongst some Palace fansAs with any third-choice goalkeeper coming through the door, their arrival can seem a bit pointless.This summer however, some Palace fans mocked Henderson after he conceded six goals on his debut in a pre-season friendly, with some also poking fun at Dougie Freedman for signing him before finding a much-needed new striker or a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who left for Manchester United.While Henderson hasn’t had much, if any, impact on the first-team – it’s not like he was signed to, anyway – it is clear that he is having a positive effect on the younger players at the club, which is probably the most you can ask for from him.His arrival may have seemed pointless, but the younger players need leaders to guide them.Henderson has already shown that he is up to that task.

A crucial update has emerged regarding Sunderland and their search for Lee Johnson’s successor as manager at the Stadium of Light…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that talks on Friday will play a key role in the club’s decision-making process as they look for their next head coach.

He tweeted: “Roy Keane is being interviewed today for Sunderland managerial vacancy. Interviews will conclude today before decision is made. Keane remains preferred choice of many, but today’s talks crucial as to which way things go. Grant McCann also in frame.”

Elation

This update from Hope will surely leave Sunderland fans feeling elated, as it suggests that a decision from the club is imminent and the supporters will not have to wait too much longer before finding out who the new manager will be.

Johnson was sacked after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton last week and the Black Cats are heading into a League One clash with Doncaster on Saturday without a permanent head coach in place. This could frustrate supporters, as every single match is important for the Wearsiders in their fight to land an automatic promotion place, which is why this latest claim will be music to the fans’ ears.

Sunderland are currently third in the League One table and looking up at Wigan and Rotherham ahead of them, with both sides having games in hand on the Black Cats. This means that they need to start stringing a run of wins together, and quickly, if they want to have a good chance of breaking into the top two.

Having a permanent manager in place could help them to do just that, as the players would know exactly what to expect and what their position in the squad is. As it stands, no-one knows who will be taking over and what their plans for the playing squad and the style of play will be, which could put a cloud of doubt in the heads of the players as they question whether or not they will be needed.

Therefore, fans will be elated by the club’s imminent decision to appoint a manager, whether that is Grant McCann or Roy Keane. Kristjaan Speakman is seemingly set to decide on the best candidate after the interview process on Friday, and supporters could be excited to see who he opts for in the coming days, whilst being delighted that it is not set to drag out much longer.

AND in other news, Reporter drops big Sunderland manager “appointment” update which will leave fans gutted…

Leeds United supporters need to accept that Raphinha will move on at some point in the near future, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha exit talk

Leeds-related news has been dominated by talk of the Brazilian’s future in recent weeks, with the player strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, and some reports that a deal has already been agreed with the Catalan giants.

The 25-year-old is Leeds’ top scorer in the Premier League this season, netting nine times and standing out as comfortably his team’s greatest attacking threat.

It remains to be seen if Raphinha will still be at Elland Road next season, and Hay has provided his thoughts on the situation.

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The Latest: Hay offers Raphinha insight

Writing in his mailbag for The Athletic on Monday, the reliable journalist said that the winger won’t be around forever, even though there has been hope over him signing a new deal. He stated:

“First things first, Barcelona are very much interested in him. In terms of future destinations for Raphinha, they were always a prime candidate – partly because of their standing and partly because of the very strong link between the Catalan club and his agent, Deco, who spent four years there as a player in the early 2000s. What we can say at this stage is that they have not submitted any offers to Leeds.

“Around Christmas, Victor Orta and Deco met at least twice and there was plenty of optimism about Raphinha agreeing new terms. Very little has been said since then and common sense tells you that both Leeds’ brush with relegation and the change of head coach at Elland Road will have dissuaded the player from rushing into signing a longer deal. He knows he is sought-after.

“I get the feeling that the club and the fanbase are realistic enough to accept that the 25-year-old Brazilian is a player who will move on to bigger things at some stage.”

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The Verdict: Expect him to leave

Some players simply come to the end of their cycle at a club, outgrowing it before moving to a team more suitable to the level that they have reached.

That appears to be the case with Raphinha, who has matured into a wonderful footballer, already scoring three times in his first seven appearances for Brazil and being hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by Rio Ferdinand.

Should Leeds be relegated to the Championship, there is simply no doubt that Raphinha will leave, but that may well apply even if Jesse Marsch’s side remain in the Premier League.

In other news, Hay has also discussed Leeds’ chances of signing one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were left slamming referee Kevin Clancy after their 1-1 draw away at Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Tuesday night.

It was a frustrating game for the Ibrox faithful as they dropped two points in their race for the SPFL title, as Ianis Hagi’s opener was cancelled out by a penalty from Lewis Ferguson after Alfredo Morelos handled the ball inside his own penalty box.

Clancy decided to give the Colombia international a yellow card for the incident too, which seemed harsh as he could not really get his hand out of the way of the line of the shot.

This was one of five yellow cards in total given to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team, including two to Ryan Kent which resulted in a red, again the second seemingly harsh for a minimal clip on former Celtic midfield player Scott Brown.

Nonetheless, a lot of Teddy Bears were left very unhappy with Clancy’s performance on the night.

Rangers fans slam Clancy

These Light Blues slammed Clancy on Twitter, with one Gers supporter even going as far as to call him ’embarrassing’:

“This referee is ridiculous a complaint should be made”

Credit: @linden1974

“Clancy gets paid for this? Absolute farce. Shouldn’t even be on a yellow, never mind a red”

Credit: @D_Boag

“Never a red ref tonight is shocking”

Credit: @gers_fan55

“Does Clancy have a pair of eyes?”

Credit: @_Ryan56

“Ref has lost the plot”

Credit: @real_god69

“Clancy is embarrassing as is Brown. Standard of refereeing is absolutely abysmal beyond belief how bad they are.”

Credit: @Kirky_8

In other news, find out who RFC are now targeting here!