Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to pile the praise on Lucas Moura, despite watching their side suffer a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday evening.Jose Mourinho’s side battled hard and had more shots than Jurgen Klopp’s men on the day with 14 attempts to Liverpool’s 13, although a smartly-taken effort from Roberto Firmino shortly before half-time ended up being the winner.

Despite the loss, one man was excellent and has rightly received praise from the Tottenham fans on Twitter for his performance.

Lucas Moura.

The Brazil international had four of Spurs’ 14 shots, while also making three key passes against the European champions and winning three aerial duels – no Tottenham player won more aerial duels than the former Sao Paulo attacker.

The former PSG forward also embarked on four dribbles and was fouled on five occasions, as he proved to be a real handful for the Merseysiders to contend with throughout the game – additionally, the 27-year-old also didn’t let his defensive work suffer having made one tackle and one clearance as well.

Let’s see what the Tottenham fans on Twitter thought of the Brazilian’s showing…

‘TalkingTHFC’ kicked off the reaction by saying that Lucas was “brilliant” against Liverpool, a game in which he “ran his socks off and worked relentlessly” while he also demanded the ball even at times when he was under pressure.

Another fan agreed with this statement, saying that the attacker is “never one to shy away” and also “gives it his all”.

Elsewhere, this fan named Harrison added that Lucas is “always looking to get forward” and “deserves more respect” – on the basis of his display against Klopp’s side, it’s hard to argue with that.

‘Rickles’ went as far as saying that it was Lucas’ “best game for us in a while” – high praise indeed – while another supporter named Ian said that the Tottenham No.27 “was like the Energiser Bunny”!

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Lastly, a fan with the username ‘Yorkspur’ said that Lucas “always turns up when Kane doesn’t play” – an interesting piece of information to add to the discussion without question.

In other news, this Tottenham target with more dribbles than Heung-min Son would add a new dimension to Mourinho’s attack…

Tottenham Hotspur fans have urged the club to sign Luka Jovic from Real Madrid this month.

Defensa Central, via Sport Witness, has claimed that manager Jose Mourinho has made a personal phone call to Real supremo Florentino Perez to ask about the possibility of signing the Serbia international.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

Jovic has made just four starts thus far this season, scoring once, in a 5-0 win over Leganes.

And supporters are drooling over the prospect of bringing the 22-year-old in; the forward netted 36 times in 75 games for Eintracht Frankfurt before his move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

One has to feel that Jovic would be perfect for Spurs, although the chances of signing him at this stage appear remote.

While he is not necessarily starting under manager Zinedine Zidane, he continues to come off the bench and has an important role at the club.

Some fans, however, think that Mourinho’s previous association with Real could well work in Spurs’ favour.

Indeed, Jovic’s link-up play and previous goalscoring exploits – at Frankfurt he was partnered with Sebastien Haller, with the pair scoring 69 goals between them in 152 appearances – suggest that he could both replace the injured Harry Kane in the short-term and play with him in the long-term.

As unlikely as it may be, this is a deal that Spurs certainly ought to explore.

Meanwhile, will Spurs miss a major star if he departs?

According to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Everton remain keen on adding Inter Milan midfielder Matias Vecino to their ranks, and over the weekend have made new contact to sign him.

What’s the word?

It’s believed that the Toffees were interested in the Uruguay international several weeks ago, but the Serie A outfit didn’t want to listen to any offers at the time.

However, it appears as if things have changed slightly as Milan are now open to a deal as the two clubs have initiated contact again.

There is less than a week remaining in the transfer window so Everton are working against the clock to push this one over the line with Pedulla claiming that Nerazzurri would rather sell him outright than a loan with an option to buy.

Kickstart the Ancelotti revolution

Everton are yet to make any new additions since Carlo Ancelotti took the reins last month, so he’s still mainly operating with the side that former boss Marco Silva put together and subsequently struggled with.

Director of Football Marcel Brands can kickstart the club’s revolution under the Italian with the signing of Vecino.

The Toffees squad depth at central midfield is questionable at best with Andre Gomes out for the season, both Morgan Schneiderlin and Fabian Delph entering their 30s and young 21-year-old Tom Davies still finding his feet at this level.

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Vecino would add a bite to that midfield, perhaps one they currently lack in terms of overall quality as he’s been tried and tested on Europe’s biggest stage – playing eight matches across the previous two seasons – as well as on the highest international level, the World Cup.

Per WhoScored, the 28-year-old is averaging 1.9 tackles per game in the league, which increases to 2.3 per game in the Champions League this campaign.

Calcio Mercato has described him as a “cool-headed passer” and a “strong presser,” suggesting that he’s quite the enforcer in the heart of the pitch.

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Only Schneiderlin can match his tacking numbers this season with the likes of Delph and Davies some way off.

It remains to be seen how much the 41-cap ace would cost, but Transfermarkt currently value him at £20.7m so that provides some scope into the possible price he would come at.

And in other news, Everton could have fierce competition for the signing of this fellow Serie A superstar…

West Brom returned to the top of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon after they ended a dire run of seven straight games without a victory with a win at the Hawthorns.

The Baggies defeated the league’s basement boys Luton Town to overtake their title rivals Leeds United to regain control of the second-tier.

Slaven Bilic’s side took the lead early in the first half through a Donervon Daniels own goal before Semi Ajayi’s header 20 minutes from time sealed all three points in the west Midlands.

Several Albion supporters were left with nothing but praise for their skipper Jake Livermore as he put in an industrious display in central midfield.

Here’s what has been said…

A recurring theme throughout the reaction was how the captain led by example with his non-stop work rate particularly singled out.

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Livermore played the full 90 minutes, and per SofaScore, recorded two tackles, one key pass and one interception.

It led to some serious comparisons to other midfielders in the division, including one of their own…

One supporter believed that he needed a better partner next to him in the engine room as Romaine Sayers isn’t good enough while another added that he was the best holding midfielder in the division, claiming he is better than Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.

And then fans were left praising him with a range of superlatives, including “class,” “quality,” and “solid.”

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While in other news, West Brom boss Slaven Bilic has just been given a selection nightmare…

After the roller-coaster ride that Manchester United went on during the January transfer window, returning to the simple matter of what happens on the pitch may be a welcome return to normalcy.

The Red Devils currently find themselves outside of the top four in the Premier League, six points behind rivals Chelsea. Their last outing in the top-flight was a particularly miserable one – a 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley.

But since then, United have scored seven times in two games, conceding none – that includes a 6-0 victory over Tranmere in the FA Cup fourth round and a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

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And on Saturday, United renew their mini-rivalry with Wolves, a team who they have already played three times, with two draws and one win to the Red Devils. Below is a look at the kind of team Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may decide to put out.

David de Gea appeared to return to his best form against City in mid-week, making four total saves and earning the praise of United fans in the process too. In front of the Red Devils’ first-choice goalkeeper, Solskjaer may decide to stick to the five-at-the-back formation that has served him so well in the last two games. As such, the Manchester side could line up with the exact same defence that won at the Etihad.

In midfield, Nemanja Matic’s red card means he is suspended for the visit of Wolves, and that could see Andreas Pereira get the nod to start alongside Fred. And after sealing his move to Old Trafford, former Sporting CP man Bruno Fernandes will surely get given the chance to make his debut.

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The Portugal international could play in the number ten role, with Anthony Martial and Daniel James the strike-duo up top.

Meanwhile, this Manchester United ace is struggling with the absence of Marcus Rashford.

According to a fresh report from The Mirror, Real Madrid are on the hunt for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly but will have to go toe to toe with Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain for him.

What’s the word, then?

The same source states that Man United view him as a perfect partner for Harry Maguire and regard him as a defensive priority.

The Red Devils remain hell-bent on bringing the 28-year-old centre-back into the squad despite the fact the player might cost the best part of £90m.

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Of course, this, alongside the fact that the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be in the race, might make things more complicated for Zinedine Zidane’s men.

But the player would very much be worth it.

Verdict

Zidane currently has the very best defence in La Liga as a whole, having only conceded 13 goals in the first 22 games played in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign. Just for comparison’s sake, the next club in line is Atletico Madrid with 15 goals conceded.

Still, with Sergio Ramos on the wrong side of his 30s, Los Blancos could use someone of Koulibaly’s pedigree and experience to give them a boost and make a seamless transition into life after their revered legend.

Of course, taking into account the number of teams interested in the Serie A star and his reported valuation, it’s pretty safe to say that this won’t be a straightforward or a cheap deal for Real to conclude.

But if it means stabilising their defence for years to come, Florentino Perez shouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger.

In other news, Real Madrid are reportedly also interested in one of Arsenal’s biggest rising stars…

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been speaking to The Daily Echo about Kevin Danso’s chances of game time following the departure of Maya Yoshida.

The 100-cap Japan international left St Mary’s on deadline day after seven-and-a-half years at the club, having arrived in the summer of 2012 from Dutch side VVV-Venlo.

As a result of his departure, Danso – who arrived on a season-long loan deal from Augsburg back in the summer – has moved up the pecking order, although Hasenhuttl’s comments on the situation don’t entirely add up.

What did he say?

The former RB Leipzig boss said: “He’s a young player and I know he always had to play a position so far that is not his best as a right or left-back. He played one time [as a centre-back] in the Carabao Cup against Fulham. That’s where he is more used to playing.

“Now, maybe in the future, he will have more chances as a centre-back where he is more comfortable.”

Still not guaranteed game time

While we’re sure that Hasenhuttl’s comments were genuine, his belief that Danso will now get more game time at centre-back following Yoshida’s departure still seems slightly misguided.

The Austrian centre-back only made three Premier League starts even with Yoshida at the club – the Japanese defender himself had only managed to play five Premier League minutes since that 9-0 defeat to Leicester in October, so he was hardly keeping Danso on the sidelines. In truth, the pair of them found themselves in the same situation in terms of game time.

So, Hasenhuttl’s logic that Danso will now maybe have more chances at centre-back seems slightly inaccurate, seeing as Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens and Jannik Vestergaard are still ahead of him in the pecking order.

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Additionally, Southampton are now also out of both cup competitions having lost the FA Cup fourth round replay to Tottenham, so the chances of the 21-year-old making more appearances at centre-back seem slim unless something happens to the aforementioned trio in terms of a potential injury or suspension.

In other news, Matt Targett has responded to Danny Ings’ latest Instagram post…

Spurs may not have clinched the striker they were desperately chasing in the January transfer window, but Jose Mourinho did bolster his squad with an addition that has already made an instant impact. And they have an unlikely man to thank for it too.

What’s he said?

The north Londoners sealed a £26.7m move for PSV winger Steven Bergwijn just days before the deadline, and in only two appearances, he has shown the Premier League exactly what he has to offer.

One of his former teammates in the Netherlands, Jetro Willems, who is now in England playing for Newcastle United, seemingly played a key role in following his footsteps.

Willems is on loan at Spurs’ PL rivals from Frankfurt but played with the 22-year-old for six years at PSV.

He revealed this week in an interview with The Athletic that he spoke to Bergwijn prior to his move as he waxed lyrical about the English top-flight.

“I was fighting for years to get here. It was always a big competition but I didn’t realise how big until I was here.

“I spoke with Hakim Ziyech this week and with Steven Bergwijn before they joined Chelsea and Tottenham.

“I told them, ‘It’s not only like on television. It’s much better, much nicer.’ I just said, ‘Welcome to the best league in the world.’ That’s how I feel.”

Jetro Willems, Newcastle left-back.

Influence

Although the likes of chief scout Steve Hitchen, Daniel Levy and Mourinho will have played a crucial role in bringing the tricky winger to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, the influence of Willems simply cannot be understated.

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His glowing endorsement of life across the North Sea could have been the encouragement needed to move away from his homeland and start a new life at the age of just 22.

It remains to be seen how influential this conversation was, but given Willems only made a similar switch back in August, his words would certainly carry more meaning than most as he’s been in this very situation.

Bergwijn has played just twice for Spurs since joining, but he’s already made a huge impact by scoring a debut goal against Manchester City whilst also racking up three key passes and four tackles against Villa on Sunday, per WhoScored.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

So everyone at Spurs must give some props to Willems, even more so as the Magpies have taken Danny Rose temporarily in order to deputise during his absence through injury.

And in other news, Spurs man can finally emerge from the shadows of this POCH favourite…

Duncan Castles spoke on the Transfer Window Podcast and discussed Jose Mourinho’s future, revealing that it is the Tottenham coach’s desire to manage Portugal one day.

Castles’ update might not really come as a big surprise to many, especially considering that Mourinho is Portuguese and managing one’s country is definitely a huge honour. Still, even though he says the ‘Special One’ has been very vocal about his wishes, Castles doesn’t really see that appointment happening soon unless Portugal have a disastrous Euro 2020.

Here’s what he said for the Transfer Window Podcast (26/2/2020): “Mourinho definitely wants to manage Portugal at some time in his career and is very open about that. I talked about it many times, and I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t happen at some point. But unless Portugal have a disastrous Euros this summer, I don’t see him being a realistic candidate for 2022 World Cup”

Of course, putting Mourinho in charge of the national team on such short notice before the World Cup would be a bit of a stretch but, somewhere further down the line, this managerial move seems like it could happen.

The self-proclaimed Special One has brought triumphs to practically every club he has managed so far, even bagging a couple of trophies for Manchester United despite their struggles, and maybe success on the international stage would truly cement him among the managerial pantheon.

Spurs fans, do you think that Mourinho will take over Portugal at one point in his career? How long do you think he intends to stay at Spurs? Let us know down in the comments below!

Manchester United were convincing in their win against Watford, coming away from the game with a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.

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While there will be plenty of players who are satisfied with their performance, it is likely that Fernandes will be among the most thrilled, after he scored his first Man United goal.

The penalty was the landmark moment of his game, but fans are excited about more than that one contribution.

They were thrilled by his overall play in the game, which was highly impressive, as the Portuguese midfielder made three dribbles, four key passes, one tackle and two clearances.

He was named among the players who one fan thought put in “very good performances”, while another referenced that he was Man of the Match for the third consecutive game.

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WhoScored agreed with this, as they gave Fernandes a rating of 9.2, putting him 0.3 ahead of Greenwood, who was his closest competitor.

There were more general celebrations of the 25-year-old and his quality, with one fan claiming that he is “better than De Bruyne”, while another referred to him as the “best player in the league”.

He has certainly made his impact known since moving to Old Trafford, already having a goal and two assists to his name after three Premier League games.

It has been suggested that “Lingard must [be] looking worried about his future”, with Fernandes about to take over the attacking midfield position.

Meanwhile, one Man United player was mercilessly slated for their performance against Watford.