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A recent transfer rumour by the Sunderland Echo claimed Daniel Stendel will look to test the Black Cats’ resolve over Andrew Nelson’s signature in a bid to add more goals to his side.

Nelson has recently shown terrific form during a brief loan spell in the National League North with Darlington, where he scored six goals in five games, all of which came in the form of braces – Ashton United, York City and Chorley found themselves the victims.

The 21-year-old, though, has never featured for the Sunderland first-team, and only tasted senior professional football during loan spells. The Black Cats academy striker first spent the 2016/17 season in League Two with Hartlepool, where he featured four times, before another loan last season, this time to Scottish Championship outfit Falkirk, where he made 15 outings.

Already, the Tykes hold one of the best offences in League One with Stendel’s men scoring 43 times in 26 games – enough to claim fifth place with a game in hand over Play-Off chasing Doncaster.

It is unclear, however, if Sunderland would allow their striker to join a potential promotion rival, but that is not enough to stop some Barnsley fans from getting their hopes up.

In a recent poll on Football FanCast, we asked if the 21-year-old was worth a punt in the January window, and 58% of those who voted back the potential move. Hardly the greatest endorsement of his quality, but a winning majority nonetheless.

Manchester United’s season has picked up under Ole Solskjaer, with the Red Devils propelling themselves back into Champions League contention with a series of wins under the Norwegian.

A tough game awaits them this weekend though, with United preparing for a hard game at Wembley against Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side – at the time of writing.

With the January window firmly in full flow too, there are of course all sorts of rumours circulating, and United are one of the clubs being linked with some big money moves, with it no secret the club needs some more additions if they are to continue improving.

While defence remains a priority, we here at the Tavern feel that United should be looking at attacking areas too, and we feel they need to act now to secure the signing of Bournemouth attacking midfielder David Brooks.

The former Sheffield United man has excelled in his debut season in the top flight and has drawn plenty of praise and admiring glances from onlooking scouting teams.

The Welsh star, who is still only in his very early twenties, has massive scope for improvement too, and a move to a club the size of United would no doubt not faze the youngsters confidence.

A bagful of tricks and someone who can ghost past people with ease to create chances, we feel he’d be a better option for United than Alexis Sanchez, who has been a massive disappointment since sealing a move to Old Trafford from Arsenal.

United fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

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Crystal Palace fans on social media have been reacting to their thrilling defeat at Anfield, and they’re not too happy with Roy Hodgson’s team selection.

Crystal Palace nearly grabbed their second stunning win against a title contender this season after recently beating Manchester City, as they fell to a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.

The Eagles took the lead courtesy of a superb first half counter attack. Wilfried Zaha danced past makeshift right back James Milner and whipped a lovely low cross in for Andros Townsend to finish.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

The hosts then gained the advantage with two quickfire strikes after half time, but James Tomkins pulled the Eagles level once again with a relatively simple header from a corner.

Liverpool then re-established their lead after a howler from veteran shot-stopper Julian Speroni, and the Reds added another before Max Meyer’s stoppage time consolation goal made it 4-3.

While there were plenty of positives to take from the performance, fans are fuming that Meyer didn’t start the match.

The crafty attacking midfielder has shown brief glimpses of brilliance since joining the club in the summer, and he did more in his ten-minute cameo than James McArthur managed in his 80 minutes on the pitch.

You can find how some Palace fans responded to Hodgson’s selection call on Twitter down below…

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Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Lewis Morgan from Celtic, with the winger joining on loan from the Scottish champions until the end of the season (via the BBC).

What’s the word, then?

The Black Cats have reunited Morgan with his old boss Jack Ross, as the pair worked together whilst at St Mirren. After signing on the dotted line for the League One promotion chasers, Morgan told the club’s official website: “I’m joining coaching staff I’ve worked with before, and once I got the opportunity to speak with them, my decision was made.

“My game is based around scoring and creating goals, but I obviously also try to work hard for the team, and that is the most important thing.”

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

It is clear that Ross’ influence was key in getting the 22-year-old to the Stadium of Light, and Sunderland will be getting a very good player who was instrumental in helping St Mirren win promotion to the Scottish Premiership last season.

He looks to be surplus to requirements under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic, having made just one start this season, and he will be hoping he can gain a second promotion in two seasons with the Wearsiders.

What sort of player is Morgan?

The Scottish international is a speedy left winger who enjoys taking his man on and looking to make things happen. At 22 years of age, Morgan still has a high ceiling for improvement and is in the perfect place to develop that potential further under a manager who trusts him.

Sunderland are in need of a new spark in attack following the departure of Josh Maja to Bordeaux, as the 20-year-old Englishman scored 15 league goals before his departure and was the main spearhead behind the club’s promotion push.

There seems plenty more to come from Morgan, and he appears hungry to prove himself in English football as Ross has given him no guarantees over his place in the team after telling the official site: “I’ve been very open and honest with him about how hard he will have to work to get into our team, as we have some very good players, but he’s welcomed that challenge.”

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Eric Dier is set to miss Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Leicester City on Sunday, the club have confirmed.

The midfielder has struggled with injuries this season and will this time be on the sidelines due to a virus.

What’s the word?

Spurs take on Leicester City on Sunday as they look to keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently five points behind the two sides, though they sit seven ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea.

There is little room for error in the run-in, then, as Spurs look to complete an unlikely title triumph.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

However, Pochettino will again be without Dier, who last completed the full 90 minutes in December, in a 2-0 win over the Foxes.

An appendectomy saw the England international ruled out of games against Burnley, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, Wolves, Cardiff City and Manchester United and he made his return in defensive midfield against Fulham in January, though he played just 11 minutes as a substitute.

Dier was left on the bench for the 2-1 victory over Watford and played just a minute against Newcastle United.

Ben Davies, meanwhile, is also unlikely to play any part in the game, as Spurs confirmed that he is continuing his recovery from a groin injury.

Wanyama return?

It may be time for Victor Wanyama to make his long-awaited Premier League return for Spurs.

The Kenya international has also struggled with injuries this season and has played just four times in the Premier League but he managed 27 minutes against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup at the end of January and was on the bench against Newcastle.

Bringing him into the fold seems a logical choice for Pochettino, with his physicality offering a neat counterpoint to the fleet-footedness of the impressive Harry Winks.

Moussa Sissoko played alongside Winks against Newcastle but a more physical player may be needed to counter the pacey threat offered by Leicester on the break, opening the door for Wanyama’s comeback.

At left-back, the choice is obvious, with Danny Rose surely set to continue in Davies’ stead.

Liverpool will play Watford on Saturday as they look to consolidate their place at the top of the Premier League table.

As it stands, the Reds are currently eight points clear of Leicester City, and a further six ahead of champions Manchester City. A win against the Hornets would mean they have picked up maximum points in 25 of their last 26 league matches.

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

This, of course, will be their last fixture before they depart for the Club World Cup in Qatar. With the entirety of the first-team squad to travel to the Middle East, we are likely to see a heavily-rotated XI against the division’s bottom side.

Here, we try to predict Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI.

In goal, Alisson should remain. Given he is a goalkeeper, and he has already missed a number of games this campaign due to injury and suspension, there is no need to give him a rest.

At right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to keep his place in the team. Had Dejan Lovren not injured his hamstring against Salzburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, the 21-year-old may have been able to rest, but Joe Gomez will now be needed at centre-back. Alongside the former Charlton man, Virgil van Dijk should start once again, but there could be a change at left-back. Andrew Robertson may be given a rest, which would see James Milner come into the side. With no natural back-up option, he is the best bet.

In the middle of the park, we could see two changes. Adam Lallana may take up a defensive midfield role that he has already played in this term, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could start after scoring against Bournemouth. Georginio Wijnaldum is likely to stay in the side.

Up front, expect Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri to be included. They both started against Everton, and scored three between them, so Klopp will be not be worried about giving the them the responsibility of starting here. On the left flank, Sadio Mane should be the man to be included. With 13 goals and eight assists in 24 matches this season, he has arguably been the Merseyside team’s best player this term. Although they could win this game without him, Klopp will likely want to keep him in the XI just for it to be slightly more comfortable.

In other news, Liverpool fans don’t want the club to sign this superstar.

[ad_pod ]Liverpool have been handed a huge boost in the title race after Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold all returned to training following a period of time out through injury, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

Obviously, Jurgen Klopp will be delighted to have two midfielders back in Henderson and Wijnaldum, but the major boost for the former Borussia Dortmund boss will be to have Alexander-Arnold back in the fold.

Why is Alexander-Arnold so important?

In the England international’s absence, Klopp had been given a huge headache at right-back.

Fans of the title challengers have watched uncomfortably as utility man James Milner has been deployed in the role, whilst Henderson also played there in the 1-1 draw against Leicester – in the three games without Alexander-Arnold, the Reds haven’t kept a clean sheet and picked up five points out of a possible nine.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Milner, in particular, was given a torrid time by Wilfried Zaha against Crystal Palace playing in that area, receiving a red card for two bookable offences, whilst Felipe Anderson also had him on toast in another 1-1 draw, this time against West Ham.

Alexander-Arnold is pivotal to Liverpool’s style, as he uses his technical ability to play incisive passes into the midfield as well as switching the play to kickstart the attack.

The 20-year-old’s pace is also far superior to that of Henderson and Milner, meaning he should be able to cope with tricky wingers such as the aforementioned duo of Zaha and Anderson.

Snatching the initiative back from Manchester City

Liverpool’s academy graduate is also a much better crosser of the ball, and should be able to provide added impetus going forward to help pin back the opposition, who have been given far too much encouragement in recent games going forward as a result of Milner and Henderson’s reluctance to push on effectively and consistently.

The Reds have allowed Manchester City, and even Tottenham, back into the title race as a result of their inability to capitalise on the Cityzens’ loss to Newcastle, but Alexander-Arnold’s return should reinvigorate them.

Astonishingly, Leeds didn’t come away with a win against Cardiff on Saturday.

The Whites were 3-0 up with 30 minutes left thanks to a double from Patrick Bamford and a strike from Helder Costa. However, Neil Harris’ men put in a spirited second-half performance to pick up an unlikely 3-3 draw at Elland Road.

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As you can imagine, there was plenty of reaction from the club’s supporters on social media platform Twitter.

There were many fans who were particularly unhappy with the result.

Indeed, for a team second in the table, and who had only conceded ten goals before this match, it is awful that they would then ship three times with the game almost won.

There were many who were pretty worried this would be the start of a capitulation of their form.

It is something that they need to be wary of. Last term, they were in the top two for much of the season, but were only able to finish in the playoffs before losing to Derby County in the semi-finals.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Some fans, though, were far more balanced.

It would make sense for the Whites to be calm. After all, they are still ten points clear of Preston North End in third, and they had won their last seven matches before this one. Not only that, they haven’t lost in their last 11 outings.

Still, Bielsa will be far from happy that his team threw away all three points from such a comfortable position. He will be hoping that it does not happen again.

Meanwhile, Leeds fans react to this new kit.

Jan Vertonghen has apologised to Chelsea after Tottenham Hotspur fans were alleged to have racially abused defender Antonio Rudiger on Sunday, per The Mirror.

What’s he said?

Rudiger complained of hearing monkey noises during the game, which Chelsea won 2-0.

He reported the incident to his captain, Cesar Azpilicueta, who then told the referee, Anthony Taylor.

That led to three separate stadium announcements, warning that racist abuse was interfering with the game.

And Vertonghen has condemned the abuse, insisting that Spurs should take the strongest action possible against the supporters if they are found guilty.

Watch Spurs vs Brighton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

He said: “I didn’t hear anything but if these things are still happening, it’s a disgrace and we should act strong against this.

“I’ve got no idea how people ever thought this way. Sometimes you think people are smarter than this. I’m very convinced it’s just a minority. But anyway, it’s very wrong.

“I don’t know if it’s getting worse. It shouldn’t be there in any way. I just can’t get my head around how people do this. I’ve got no words for it.

“If any of their players were affected by it, we apologise in the name of Spurs. But it’s a minority of idiots. We don’t want to identify with these people.”

A strong message

This is excellent from Vertonghen.

The defender is right to be furious about the abuse, with fans debasing the very fabric of the football club.

It was a dark day for Spurs, who were poor on the pitch and even poorer off it.

But this is a step forward.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

His outright condemnation is likely to make waves and Spurs need to follow his advice and stamp out any indication of racist abuse at the club.

Those who are guilty simply cannot be allowed back into the stadium and should really be serving prison sentences.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to being linked with a swoop for a Ligue 1 star.

Sheffield Wednesday striker Sam Winnall has ruled out a temporary move away from the club in January, claiming it would be irrelevant with his contract expiring in the near future.

What’s the word?

Winnall has been restricted to just two starts in the league this term, the latest of which came against Cardiff last weekend.

He won five aerial duels against a combative Bluebirds backline but failed to provide a spark that Steven Fletcher has with such regularity this term.

The Scotsman has scored 12 times this season but in comparison Winnall has only found the net once, earning a WhoScored average match rating of just 6.26.

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His contract is due to expire in the summer and it remains unclear as to what will happen to the striker’s future.

A number of variables could come into the equation depending on Wednesday’s punishments for breaching profit and sustainability rules or whether they achieve promotion.

However, it seems as though one thing is for certain, and that’s the fact Winnall won’t be moving out on loan. Speaking to Yorkshire Post, he said:

“I’ve got six months left on my contract so a loan move is irrelevant. That’s out of the question.

“I don’t know what will happen in January. I’m trying to focus on every day playing for Sheffield Wednesday and whatever will be will be.”

Nketiah deal to impact proceedings?

Winnall might not want to leave on loan but if Eddie Nketiah arrives, as has been rumoured, it would add another striker to an ever-growing list of options at Garry Monk’s disposal.

Aside from the 28-year-old and Fletcher, the Owls can also choose from Fernando Forestieri, Atdhe Nuhui and Jordan Rhodes.

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Michael Owen, Garth Crooks or Mark Lawrenson?

With that in mind, adding someone like Nketiah could restrict Winnall’s game time even more and any business Wednesday look to tie up in January could have a large impact on whether their current number 11 stays beyond January.

If he’s ruling out a loan switch, it feels as though a permanent move away would benefit all parties, particularly the player who has struggled significantly in 2019/20.

Unfortunately for Winnall, his future could well be out of his hands for the time being.

Meanwhile, check out why Garry Monk’s baffling decision failed to pay off last Sunday…