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Liverpool have announced that teenage midfielder Matteo Ritaccio has signed his first professional contract with the club.

The news was posted on their website liverpoolfc.com and also shared on official Twitter channel @LFC.

The New York-born 18-year-old has been involved with Barry Lewtas’ under-18 squad since the beginning of last season, with a goal and two assists to his name from five appearances so far this term.

Ritaccio is among a number of young prospects hoping to establish themselves at Anfield, with teenagers such as Ki-Jana Hoever, Harvey Elliott, Rhian Brewster and Curtis Jones all being given chances in the Carabao Cup this season.

Liverpool’s next fixture in that competition takes place away to Aston Villa on December 17th, the day before the Reds play in the Club World Cup semi-finals in Qatar. [via liverpoolfc.com]

The club confirmed last week that they will field two separate squads for those games, as reported by The Telegraph, which will likely see numerous youngsters being handed a rare first team opportunity.

These Liverpool fans on Twitter have hoped to see Ritaccio being given a senior debut in next month’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Villa Park – seemingly unaware that the midfielder currently has a leg injury that is set to keep him out until January:

Do you think Ritaccio would be in line to play against Aston Villa next month if it weren’t for his leg injury? Comment below with your views!

Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after they saw that The Mirror had reported a strange transfer story, to say the least.

The report states that Lallana – who has made just one Premier League start for the Reds this season – is being lined up by the Ligue 1 champions as a replacement for Edinson Cavani, who will join LA Galaxy as a replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Now, where to start with this one.

Perhaps we could look at the fact that Lallana is an attacking midfielder, whereas Cavani is a lethal striker with 336 career goals to his name – in comparison, the Liverpool No.20 has only ever hit 81 goals.

The former Southampton man hasn’t been used much by Jurgen Klopp this term and he could easily be viewed as dispensable, although the matter may be out of Liverpool’s hands as Lallana’s contract expires in the summer and he will be free to negotiate with interested parties in January.

Let’s take a look at how the Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the report…

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…

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson has hailed Fred for his improvements this season.

What did he say?

The Brazil international endured a difficult debut campaign at the club last season, registering just 25 appearances across all competitions. But this year, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man has become an increasingly influential figure for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, with the United manager even describing him as the “catalyst” for the team’s victory over Brighton before the international break.

And now, Kleberson has given his plaudits to his Brazilian compatriot, and insisted he is beginning to repay the faith and expectation that is being placed on his shoulders right now.

He said: “Fred has got a lot of expectation on him now, as he’s shown his quality. He’s started moving the ball well and shuts down space for the opposition in midfield. When he first started playing alongside Andreas Pereira they struggled, but now they’ve got used to the tempo of the Premier League, they are starting to show their qualities.

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“He can continue to improve but everything can change in football, so he needs to stay confident and keep his position in the side. As his position will come down to the team getting the right results.”

Huge strides

With Paul Pogba out injured, Fred has arguably been the man to benefit the most from the France World Cup winner’s absence. Ahead of the Premier League clash against Sheffield United at the weekend, the 26-year-old has played and completed the full 90 minutes in the last five games in the top-flight for the Red Devils.

His increased game-time has also been down to his more influential performances on the pitch, with the midfielder averaging an impressive 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League. Having arrived from Shakhtar for a fee in the region of £47m, it appears United are finally beginning to see what they shelled all that money out for.

Sunderland may have struggled for several years before they were eventually relegated from the Premier League, but their countless escapes from the drop have produced some wonderful memories.

From Gus Poyet to Paolo Di Canio and Dick Advocaat, there are several former Black Cats’ bosses who pulled off some miraculous moments, with Di Canio’s side creating a lasting memory in the 3-0 win over Newcastle at St. James’ Park in 2013.

Sam Allardyce also shared moments of glory at the Stadium of Light, and indeed was in charge during the Black Cats’ last season in the top-flight that didn’t end in relegation.

A 3-2 win over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light stands out for many fans, and in recent days the club has looked back on the encounter as part of their throwback series, with one goal in particular prompting a response amongst fans.

Jermain Defoe scored the winning goal, one of 15 league goals he struck that term in what proved to be one of his best spells in his career, despite having just returned from the MLS, where he featured for Toronto.

The former striker is loved in the north-east because of that, with supporters proving exactly that by reacting to the post and speaking about the Rangers man.

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Defoe was a major reason why Sunderland achieved safety that year and despite equalling his return of 15 league goals the following season, he couldn’t prevent his side from the drop.

The Allardyce factor was clearly significant to their success, and the recent club tweet left one fan wondering what might have been had things worked out differently at the end of that season.

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

In other news, Jon McLaughlin has shown fans what he’s been getting up to in the last few days…

Former Tottenham Hotspur enforcer Victor Wanyama has been speaking about how his career with the club came to an abrupt end earlier this year.

There was a point when the 52-time capped Kenya international and Mousa Dembele formed a colossal midfielder pairing at the heart of Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier Legue records true or false?

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The fine blend of brains and brawn provided the Argentine with a fantastic base in midfield, but injury problems disrupted Wanyama’s progress and he recently left the club to join Montreal Impact.

And now the 28-year-old has opened up about how his time in north London came to an end, suggesting that his future was determined by forces above Jose Mourinho in the club’s hierarchy, per CBC.

“The first thing [Mourinho] told me, he was wondering why I wasn’t playing. I have to be playing. The problem wasn’t with the coach if you ask me. The problem was a little bit upstairs and they didn’t give me a chance.”

In response to reports, plenty of the supporters took aim at the board, Daniel Levy and ENIC as a whole, with one fan citing Kieran Trippier’s comments from his own 2019 exit as evidence to suggest this is more than a one-off case.

A more sceptical fan, however, suggested that Wanyama simply wasn’t up to the standard required and is merely making excuses for his own shortcomings.

Here’s how the Spurs fans reacted to their former star’s comments…

So it appears Ed Woodward will not be shaking things up too much at Manchester United.

Reports over the past year had suggested that the Red Devils were keen on bringing in a sporting or technical director to help streamline things both on the pitch and off it.

But now, according to The Athletic, United have made a U-turn on that idea, and will not be pursuing anyone for that kind of role or position anytime soon.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It’s suggested that “such a precise role is not on the agenda anymore” and that “United do not seek a guru to lead policy for signings, nor will anybody come in to take ownership of who sits in the dugout”.

After hearing about the update United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

A couple of United fans in particular seemed to be unsurprised by the latest development, with one supporter suggesting “we all called this a long time ago”.

Based on the signings that United have made in the past couple of transfer windows, then there is certainly an argument to be made that the side have made some improvements on that front.

But having someone other than Woodward to help maximise the potential of the club would surely be a smart move to make.

Instead, the club risk falling into the same trap and making the same mistakes they used to.

Tottenham Hotspur uploaded a humorous video on Twitter of Harry Redknapp getting drenched as the club marked 10 years to the day since one of the most iconic moments in their Premier League history. 

Spurs famously beat Manchester City to qualify for the Champions League for the first time back in 2010, and emotions were running high among some of their players afterwards.

David Bentley and a number of Lilywhites players decided to give Redknapp a cool-down during his interview after the game as they emptied a bucket of cold water over the unsuspecting manager’s head.

The former boss tried to laugh it off but later revealed he wasn’t best pleased about the hilarious incident in his autobiography ‘Always Managing’. Redknapp wrote: “On camera I had to laugh it off, but privately I was furious. I thought it was disrespectful, frankly, and totally out of keeping with our relationship.

“I was talking, proudly, about the quality of my backroom staff — Joe Jordan, Kevin Bond and the rest — when Bentley invaded the screen with a crowd of jeering players and dumped a full, large container of water over me.”

He concluded “I thought Bentley and the other players — all the ones who couldn’t get in the team, incidentally — took a liberty. It didn’t just make me look bad, it made the club look bad, too. It undermined us when we had just taken a giant step to join the elite.”

After being appointed in October 2008, Redknapp went on to take charge of 198 matches for the North London club, winning 98 games, drawing 48, and losing just 52. His final game at White Hart Lane came in the form of a 2-0 win over derby rivals Fulham in May 2012. [via TransferMarkt]

Predictably, plenty of Spurs supporters still have lots of fond memories about Redknapp’s reign, as many waxed lyrical about the “great man.” One fan added his team were “amazing,” while another simply said he is “proper Spurs.”

Scroll down through some of the best reactions to Redknapp and his players below…

Tottenham fans, who is your favourite manager of the Daniel Levy era? Let us know in the comments section!

A lot of West Ham fans were raving over footage posted by the club on Twitter showing a fantastic finish from Robert Snodgrass in their London derby fixture against Fulham last season.

The Scotsman received the ball on the edge of the box from winger Felipe Anderson and, without feeling a need for a first touch, the attacking midfielder smashed the ball into the top left corner.

It was a significant game back in December 2018 as the 2-0 win meant it was the side’s fourth consecutive victory, the first time they had managed that feat for five years, as per BBC Sport.

Michail Antonio grabbed the other goal but it is sheer moments of quality like the strike from Snodgrass which highlight why David Moyes’ is reportedly very keen to keep hold of the player next season, even though he is 32, as the club will offer him a new contract, according to a report from Claret and Hugh.

Hopefully, if he does sign a new contract, he can continue to impress Moyes and push the Hammers further up the table.

Here is what these West Ham fans had to say following the tweet:

Hammers fans, was this Snodgrass’ best goal for the club? Comment below with your views!

Alex Bruce believes Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho would be a ‘great signing’ for Tottenham Hotspur if they manage to pull off a move in the summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Hull City defender suggested Spurs may reap the rewards if Coutinho can replicate his heroics at Anfield.

Earlier this week, the outlet reported the Lilywhites have told Barca they are keen to sign the Brazilian on loan with the option to buy.

Sources revealed the club are looking to cover only part of his hefty weekly wages as it is likely a loan deal would cost Daniel Levy several millions.

He has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich but Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently announced the Bundesliga club do not intend to sign him permanently.

Nevertheless, the Premier League veteran feels he would be a welcome addition to Jose Mourinho’s squad.

Bruce told assistant editor Russell Edge: “well it would be a great signing, wouldn’t it? He’s been in the Premier League before and had a huge impact with Liverpool and obviously, if he comes back to the Premier League, Spurs will be hoping he has a similar impact.

“With the loans, they’ll do a deal on the wages but clubs will need to get players off wage bills and things like that so I think the loan market will be very active.”

While Coutinho has largely failed to find the form that saw him win Liverpool’s Player of the Year in 2015, it is difficult to disagree with the pundit on this one.

Ever since he arrived at the Nou Camp from Merseyside for £142m in 2018, the 27-year-old has made 76 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 21 goals and creating 11 assists in all competitions.

He has won La Liga twice with the Spaniards, although he lost his place in the starting lineup to Antoine Griezmann once Quique Setien took charge of the club.

However, it is fair to say the Brazil international was undeterred by this setback, as he has shown flashes of his overall brilliance at the Allianz Arena, scoring 8 goals and 6 assists in the Bundesliga this season, taking 2.6 shots per game, making 1.4 key passes, and completing 1.5 dribbles on average. He has been awarded a solid statistical rating of 7.29 via WhoScored in recognition of his performances.

Although some have been critical of the playmaker in recent months, the £50.4m-valued ace would surely be a major upgrade on Jose Mourinho’s midfield options at the time of writing.

The club’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele has arguably struggled for consistency this season, earning a below-par rating of 6.9 via WhoScored, and his teammate Giovani Lo Celso is currently rated at 6.65 according to WhoScored.

Evidently, Coutinho could give Mourinho the experience he desperately needs to challenge for trophies next season, and he may even act as a mentor to some of Spurs’ younger players on-and-off the pitch.

Tottenham fans, do you think the board should sign Philippe Coutinho in the summer? Let us know down below!

Xherdan Shaqiri has been filmed returning to first team training after a lengthy battle with injuries.

The Switzerland international has not featured for the Reds since January, which was a one minute cameo appearance against Tottenham. Prior to that, Shaqiri made just five other appearances in the Premier League and has ultimately missed a huge chunk of this season (via Transfermarkt).

The 28-year-old has struggled with knocks and a calf injury which saw him miss almost the entirety of Liverpool’s Champions League run this campaign. Now he’s back in training, he could get some minutes and even start a few games as the Premier League season comes to a close.

Whether he gets game time or not, fans are just ecstatic to see him back in action. One supporter has commented on the video saying they have ‘tears in my eyes’ whilst another has asked Shaqiri to ‘stay with us’. The winger has been linked with a potential Anfield exit this summer, along with other senior players such as Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren (via Liverpool ECHO).

Do you think Liverpool should keep or sell Xherdan Shaqiri this summer, Reds? Have your say in the comments below…