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Jurgen Klinsmann has refused to rule out replacing Jose Mourinho as Tottenham manager.

Klinsmann discusses Spurs job

Klinsmann spent two seasons at Tottenham during the 1990s and, although he was only there for a short time, he become something of a club legend as he netted 29 goals in 56 Premier League matches (premierleague.com) – he was named the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award during the 1994-95 campaign.

He was asked on ESPN FC whether he could take the vacant manager’s position at Tottenham, and he said:

“I tell you, anything is possible in life. I never thought I would coach Germany at a World Cup. I never thought I would coach the USA for six years or Bayern Munich. 

“So we’ll see in a couple of months who will be the Spurs manager!”

Wrong option

Klinsmann may have been a wonderful player, but that has not translated into management. The two-year spell with Germany remains the highlight of his career as he took them to the 2006 World Cup semi-final – he failed to last a season at either Bayern or Hertha Berlin, however.

For all of Mourinho’s faults, there is no doubting he was a manager of pedigree. While previous successes don’t determine how well someone well do in any job, it certainly helps to have experience of winning. Given Tottenham’s standing, they can surely do better than Klinsmann, who is neither a fresh-faced revolutionary like Mauricio Pochettino or an proven winner like Mourinho.

In other news, this man is set to leave Tottenham this summer.

If anyone from Leeds had one eye on Manchester United’s Europa League clash against Granada on Thursday night, then they would have been left suitably impressed by the performance of Yangel Herrera.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in signing the Venezuela international, and he put in a star showing despite his side’s 2-0 defeat on the night. As per Sofascore, he won a mammoth nine duels at Old Trafford, which was the second-most of any Granada player on the pitch, despite playing in a more advanced number 10 role.

The 23-year-old also racked up five shots on goal, by far the most of any player on either side, and also completed two of his four dribbles, showcasing a real South American flair with his touch and skill.

La Liga Lowdown’s Heath Chesters raved about the Venezuelan, and in particular his ability to win the ball back for his side and then do something productive with it, saying that he is “full of energy, his movement on and off the ball is excellent”.

Chesters continued: “He’s taken to the jump in levels like a duck to water, and particularly impressive is his reading of the game. Most impressive is his pressing, how he steals the ball and immediately sets his sights on shooting or playing a killer pass.”

La Liga pundit Terry Gibson also lauded Herrera’s knack of timing his runs into the penalty box, which is no surprise given that he has already bagged eight goals in all competitions this season.

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Gibson said: “He’s been outstanding it was a real coup to get him to stay (at Granada). He’s a really athletic, dynamic player who has a habit of getting into the box at the right times. He’s a threat in the air too. He’s a fantastic acquisition (for Granada). He’s shown his talent, he’s really good.”

Given the kind of rave reviews he has earned, and the performance he put in at Old Trafford in a major European tie, Herrera looks like he’s got all the tools in his locker to be a real star for Bielsa at Elland Road.

If Victor Orta had his eye on the match, then he would surely have been left in no doubt that Herrera is a must-sign for Leeds this summer.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this liability…

According to the Daily Mail, four Premier League clubs are interested in signing Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.

Premier League clubs eye Kamara

The report claimed that four English top-flight sides – Brighton, Southampton, Burnley and Leeds United – are all eager to capture Kamara’s services. Championship outfit Watford are also interested if they are able to earn promotion.

At the moment, the £4.05m-valued Finland international is said to be relaxed over his position, while no official approach has yet been made.

Unsurprising

Given Kamara’s displays so far this season, it is unsurprising that he has popped up on the radar of a number of teams south of the border. He has made 44 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) for the Gers this term, and has helped control the middle of the park on many an occasion, earning a 6.90 average match rating from WhoScored.

Steven Gerrard has previously revealed his desire to tie the 25-year-old down to a new contract (via FourFourTwo), but so far he has been unable to do so. Unfortunately, the time may be coming when Kamara feels he has achieved all he can at Ibrox. The Gers do have the carrot of Champions League football to offer him next season, but whether that is enough to convince him to resist the temptations of a move to England – where he has had scant senior experience – remains to be seen.

In other news, many Rangers fans are delighted by this Old Firm news.

Alan Shearer picked out the ‘excellent’ Jacob Murphy for praise as Newcastle drew 2-2 with Spurs on Sunday to boost their survival hopes.

Joe Willock’s 85th-minute equaliser against the Champions League-chasing visitors nudged the Magpies three points clear of the drop zone.

Steve Bruce selected Murphy for his first start since the 2-1 defeat against Leeds in late January and he duly shone. As per Sofascore, the 26-year-old won 10 ground duels during the game, completed four dribbles, made five tackles and created two chances. It truly was an all-action display from the right wing-back.

“It wasn’t just the goalscorers who stood out,” Shearer wrote in his BBC Sport column. “Jacob Murphy was excellent down the right side and gave [Tottenham left-back] Sergio Reguilon a torrid time throughout.”

The Times’ chief football writer Henry Winter joined the chorus of praise for Murphy, describing him as ‘outstanding’ and suggesting that his ‘resilience echoed all over’ the Newcastle team.

Transfer Tavern verdict

On the back of this performance, Murphy simply must start in the critical game against Burnley next weekend. You could even argue he deserves to be in the team for the remainder of the season and that he has been harshly overlooked by Steve Bruce up to this point, especially with those selected in recent weeks largely struggling.

Newcastle amassed an xG of 4.3 on Sunday – their highest in a league game since 2016/17 – and that was in no small part down to the wide threat provided by Murphy on the right and Matt Ritchie on the left.

In other news, Newcastle are apparently interested in this trio.

Not a day goes by without Arsenal surely ruing letting Serge Gnabry go in the summer of 2016.

Sold for just £5m to German side Werder Bremen, Gnabry has since blown into superstardom, becoming a star at both club and international level with Bayern Munich and Germany, respectively.

The forward, now 25, is currently lighting up the Bundesliga with Bayern, and has already scored nine goals and provided a further three assists in just 22 games in the league this season.

With Germany, Gnabry’s record is even more impressive netting 15 times in just 19 senior games, and that’s a real testament to how much he’s grown over the years.

Speaking just last summer, Arsene Wenger – the manager who of course sold him back in 2016 – delivered his verdict on the winger and the situation behind his surprising exit, saying: “We had an agreement with him you know. I had given him out on loan to West Brom and he didn’t play a game. He came back, he was injured. We worked very hard with him for six months and he went out with the German national team, under-21’s, and Bayern made a deal with Werder Bremen.

“He wanted to sign in the end, didn’t want to extend his contract (with Arsenal) and I was very sad. But we couldn’t get over the line with him because I knew he would have a great career.”

Now, CIES value him at a massive £102m, more than twenty times what Arsenal actually sold him for a few years ago – if there ever was a move that underlined the kind of bad business the Gunners have done in recent seasons, then Gnabry is arguably right there at the top of the list.

Gnabry has become an established star shining at the very highest level, even helping Bayern to Champions League glory just last league – a run that saw the German winger tear apart Tottenham in their new stadium by netting four in a thumping 7-2 triumph.

Arsenal will surely never be able to live down letting Gnabry go.

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham is an injury doubt for this weekend’s Premier League clash with Leeds United at Elland Road, potentially a big relief for the Whites’ shaky defence.

Leeds host the Blues on Saturday afternoon, in what has the potential to be an entertaining meeting between two of English football’s most famous clubs.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side will be looking to respond after Monday’s 2-0 defeat away to West Ham, with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea side in a rich vein of form, remaining unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions since the German replaced Frank Lampard in January.

Abraham likely to miss out for Chelsea

The west Londoners have almost a clean bill of health ahead of the game, but Abraham is Tuchel’s one injury concern going into the weekend.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the 23-year-old, who has 12 goals this season, is still struggling with an ankle issue. He hasn’t featured since the 1-1 draw away to Southampton last month.

Transfer Tavern take

Abraham’s likely absence is a blow for Chelsea, they still have an embarrassment of riches to call upon in attack.

The likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi will all be vying for a start at Elland Road, highlighting the options Tuchel has in his squad.

That said, not having to face a player who has bagged double-digit goals this season is still a big boost for a Leeds defence who have struggled in recent times, losing four of their last five matches.

In others news, pundit tips Leeds to go back for Ben White this summer!

Noel Whelan believes Glasgow Rangers could save millions by tying down goalkeeper Allan McGregor to a new contract.

Whelan urges McGregor deal

McGregor’s contract is set to run out at the end of the campaign (Transfermarkt), although reports have suggested that he is set to sign a new deal at Ibrox.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan believes the Gers could save a fortune if McGregor extends his deal with the 55-time Scottish champions. He said:

“He’s a player that knows the club inside out.

“To me, it’s a no brainer when you’ve got quality like that who’s still producing displays at the highest level. If you went out to get another goalkeeper now, probably not as good as him, what would you be paying?

“You’d be paying over the odds for what you’re going to get, unfortunately. You’ve got a player there who wants to be at the club. He’s still putting in performances, he has been a massive, integral part of the Premiership win this year.

“Goalkeepers can go on forever as long as they keep themselves at a certain fitness.

“They’ve got no need to spend millions in that department. They’ve already got a top-quality goalkeeper.”

Short-term

In the short-term, Whelan is correct. As he showed with a wonderful save against Slavia Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, McGregor is still capable of top-quality displays despite being 39 years of age. However, even if he does extend his deal, it is only delaying the inevitable.

Quite frankly, he doesn’t have too long left, certainly not as number one. At some point, the Gers will need to dip into the transfer market to replace him. A new contract this summer enables Ross Wilson and co to strengthen in other areas without worrying about spending on a shot-stopper, but that may change in 12 months’ time.

In other news, some Rangers fans are livid at this Old Firm confirmation.

David Moyes is facing a difficult decision over how he deals with Manuel Lanzini in the coming months, with West Ham United reportedly open to selling the midfielder this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Lanzini may be sacrificed at the end of the season to help raise funds for Moyes to reshape his unit at the London Stadium.

It is expected that the Hammers will make the 28-year-old available for a permanent move if they receive offers worth £15m, having only started three of his 12 Premier League appearances this term.

Lanzini represents the latest player touted to be on the move in the next summer market, as Moyes seemingly looks to clear West Ham from the deadwood including selling attacking flops Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson at significant losses.

West Ham are thought to have fielded interest for Lanzini from clubs in Turkey and the Middle East, while Andre Villas-Boas had reportedly pushed Olympique de Marseille to sign the Argentine in January before leaving the Ligue 1 outfit over a difference of opinion.

Villas-Boas was allegedly keen to sign the five-cap international in the winter transfer market and had discussed including Lanzini in a swap deal for Morgan Sanson, though OM preferred to strike a loan deal with Celtic for Olivier Ntcham that includes a £5.5m option to buy.

The Irons will now look to move Lanzini on at the end of the season, with sales and the £20m made from Sebastien Haller’s winter exit expected to contribute to a £59m budget.

A difficult few months for Moyes

With West Ham now looking toward the summer market to offload Lanzini after failing to find a buyer last month, the Argentine’s continued presence at the London Stadium will leave Moyes in a difficult position knowing it is time for the club get rid of the midfielder.

The Hammers boss has proven throughout the 2020/21 campaign that he does not rate Lanzini above the likes of Pablo Fornals or Said Benrahma, January loan signing Jesse Lingard or even Mark Noble, with the Argentine rarely getting a sniff of the action despite Moyes suggesting Lanzini had been “unlucky” to be overlooked.

Though in a recent ‘U Irons’ podcast appearance on The Athletic, co-host Sam Delaney dubbed the attacker an “ineffective player” who fails to shift the ball round, to do anything decisive, doesn’t score and does not play that final killer ball.

Lingard has opened all three available Premier League matches to him since moving to east London on a temporary deal, while Benrahma has started nine of his 16 outings, Fornals 19 of 21 and Noble earning each of his three starts in Lanzini’s preferred position.

Moyes had brought Lanzini back into his plans over the festive period with a first league start of the season at Southampton on December 29, but the move seemingly came too late to attract a suitor for the 28-year-old during the winter transfer market.

The ex-Manchester United head coach will surely now have to give Lanzini a greater run in the side than he has of late if West Ham are to drum up enough interest to make £15m from the £70k-per-week maestro, who has featured just once in the Irons last five top-flight games.

But whether playing Lanzini will be for the good of the side right now remains to be seen, or if looking ahead to the summer market will actually hold back West Ham’s push for European qualification.

AND in other news, David Moyes has been sent an instant reminder by a £9m West Ham target…

West Ham United have been urged to not continue their chase of Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong.

Former Premier Leauge striker Kevin Phillips has recently talked about West Ham’s links with a move to sign Armstrong and he believes that the Hammers shouldn’t sign the Blackburn forward.

Armstrong may not fit West Ham

Phillips was recently talking to Football Insider and he talked about the club’s links with a move for the forward. He believes that Armstrong is not the sort of forward that David Moyes’ would be looking for. He feels that Moyes is looking for a forward who is taller than Armstrong, as they are looking to replace Sebastian Haller.

He said: “I do not think Adam Armstrong fits the mould at West Ham. Would Moyes even consider it? If I am being totally honest, I do not think he would.

“I think Moyes would be going down the route of a 6 foot plus striker. Of course, Haller was that type of player and it did not work, but Armstrong? I do not think he would suit the way Moyesy wants to play.”

Armstrong, currently 23, has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season. He has scored 17 times, getting seven assists. In the Championship, he has scored 16 goals while picking up three assists. This is a reflection of how he is a prolific contributor to goals.

Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Warburton has praised Armstrong quite a bit. He said:

“He’s a top quality player. I’m sure Tony was desperate for him to get on the teamsheet, as much as we were desperate for him to not be on the teamsheet.

“But that’s what he can do to teams. I thought we done well to stop him in the opening half but you can’t afford to give someone of that calibre any decent opportunities. That’s the quality of the Championship.”

West Ham can make do with Armstrong

Armstrong boasts of a very good record for Rovers. In 144 games for the Lancashire-based side, he has scored 52 goals while also picking up 17 assists on the way. This is a reflection of the qualities of the player and he is only valued at £9 million.

This shows that if West Ham did make a move for him, he might not be a costly investment and he is still only 23 right now. He has a very good goalscoring record but Phillips thinks that he is not the type of player that Moyes would want, but time will tell if he’s correct.

In other news, West Ham are eyeing a move for a Danish international – read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur clearly haven’t learned their lesson.

Once again, they sat back in the second half and invited pressure to the point of the opposition scoring.

It wasn’t too long ago that Spurs sat top of the table with both Heung-min Son and Harry Kane scoring goals for fun, now they have slipped to sixth place having also dropped points to Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the very same manner.

Indeed, Fulham had more shots (eight) than the home side (five) in the second half and also dominated possession, notching a total of 55% – a total contrast to the opening period as Jose Mourinho’s side were in complete control with 58% possession, via SofaScore.

After Harry Kane opened the scoring by ending a fine move which saw Sergio Reguilon whip a delightful ball in for him to nod home, Spurs were pegged back in the 74th minute when Eric Dier was caught napping from a cross himself. The diminutive 5 foot 9 Ivan Cavaleiro beat him to a header.

Though, the Englishman’s game overall, aside from that one momentary lapse in concentration, was actually pretty decent – he managed three clearances, two tackles and enjoyed more touches than any other Spurs player (94), per SofaScore.

This shows that he had a major influence in starting Spurs’ counter-attacks as not even the playmaking Tanguy Ndombele could get near such numbers (69) having only played nine fewer minutes.

He also proved to be a strong presence at the back, thwarting Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who endured the match’s second-lowest rating of 6.2 after completing just one of five dribbles as well as losing the ball 15 times, per SofaScore.

Other culprits let Mourinho down far worse at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night, perhaps surprisingly, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was one huge disappointment.

The great Dane, often a powerhouse in the middle of the pitch, averaging 2.8 tackles, 2.2 fouls and 1.2 interceptions per game on the season via WhoScored, was instead wasteful and lightweight against the Cottagers.

Only one other Spurs player graded worse than his 6.3 rating as he won only 35% of his 14 duels, he won 12 out of 17 in the 3-0 victory against Leeds United last time out as a comparison, and committed four fouls, which is nearly double his usual mean as above. He was even dribbled past four times, which was more than anyone else on the pitch, per SofaScore.

The £27m-rated summer arrival was completely dominated by his opposite numbers Harrison Reed, who made six tackles, and Andre Zambo Anguissa, who successfully pulled off six dribbles, thus the pair ran rings around Hojbjerg all night.

To top things off, the 25-year-old picked up his fourth booking of the season having committed four fouls, meaning he’ll be on thin ice in the coming games now.

“He’s a captain without needing to wear the armband,” Mourinho said in October (via The Athletic) – well if that’s the case, then the ‘Special One’ has every right to feel aggrieved and let down by Hojbjerg’s outing on Wednesday night.

Someone with that acclaim, on over £100k-per-week too, should be doing so, so much better.

AND in other news, Spurs can find next Jan Vertonghen in “phenomenal talent” lauded by Messi…