Latest news with #JamesMaddison
South China Morning Post
17 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Tottenham Hotspur make low-key Hong Kong Football Festival entrance
Tottenham Hotspur made a relatively low-key entrance to the Hong Kong Football Festival on Tuesday, holding a public training session in front of 9,080 fans at Kai Tak Stadium. While the Europa League winners drew only around one-third of the 27,000 who watched Liverpool practice last Thursday, the Spurs devotees lapped up their 75 minutes of action. Stars including James Maddison, Richarlison and fan favourite Son Heung-min participated in various keep-ball games, before moving through some gruelling sprinting exercises and into a full game, played on half the pitch. Days after Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk criticised the surface, it again noticeably cut-up as players engaged in slick, condensed drills where they tried to keep the ball away from each other. Any sight of Son on the big screen generated excited screams, although the cheers gave way to jeers when the cameras picked out a fan wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words 'I love Levy', in reference to the club's unpopular chairman Daniel Levy. Son Heung-min powers forwards as the Kai Tak playing surface shows signs of wear and tear. Photo: Elson Li Also captured on the large television was a youngster wearing a Liverpool shirt, a reminder of the Premier League champions' overwhelming popularity in Asia.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
If Spurs are not going to sign Morgan Gibbs-White, who are the closest alternatives?
In a flash, the mood surrounding Tottenham Hotspur has dipped. Last weekend's friendly double-header against League One opposition did little to inspire confidence. Tottenham first drew 2-2 with Wycombe Wanderers at Hotspur Way, before playing out a 0-0 stalemate away to Luton Town. History advises that reading too much into pre-season results is a fool's errand, but after transfer target Morgan Gibbs-White signed a new three-year deal at Nottingham Forest hours after the dismal draw at Kenilworth Road, concerns that Spurs are behind schedule in their preparations for the upcoming season are beginning to grow. Advertisement James Maddison has travelled with the squad for their tour to Hong Kong and South Korea as he ramps up his recovery from a knee injury sustained in early May, but he is yet to be included in a pre-season matchday squad. Thomas Frank confirmed Maddison's his creative partner, Dejan Kulusevski, who suffered a knee injury a week later, will not be fit for the start of the season. Pape Matar Sarr's brace from an advanced midfield position against Wycombe demonstrated there are ready-made alternatives to the pair in Spurs' squad, but their pursuit of Gibbs-White indicates the club want to make improvements in the creative department. Here's the kicker: Gibbs-White is a rare player. There are not many in the Premier League, or indeed Europe, who combine first-rate technical and creative skills with incessant running off the ball and leadership qualities. Though his raw attacking numbers rarely jump off the page, Gibbs-White stands out for the responsibility he shoulders for his team. Nottingham Forest averaged just 41 per cent possession last season — the third-lowest share in the division — meaning chances to affect the game close to goal did not come easily. But when they did, Gibbs-White was usually first on the scene. The 25-year-old was behind most of Forest's positive attacking actions, getting his team into the final third at speed. Per analytics company Footovision, only two Premier League players were involved in a higher proportion of their team's counter-attacks — either via a pass or a carry — than Gibbs-White last season (15 per cent), illustrating his desire to drive forward whenever the opportunity arrives. Looking for players who are similarly front-footed and determined to drive their team up the pitch seems a good place to start our search. The scatterplot below outlines central midfielders across Europe's top four leagues who completed a high proportion of their team's progressive passes and carries, with Gibbs-White standing out as a double threat. As the graphic above outlines, one player who stood out for their ability to progress the ball in different ways was Werder Bremen's Romano Schmid. Operating as a left-sided central midfielder in Ole Werner's 3-5-2, Schmid had the licence to push forward and act as his side's key creative catalyst — with only Bayern Munich's Michael Olise and Thomas Muller, plus Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz the only Bundesliga players to register a higher rate of passes into the penalty area than Schmid's 7.5 per 90 minutes. When mapping the sheer volume of box entries among his team-mates, it is clear that nearly every attacking move runs through Schmid — leading his side for the most carries and passes into the penalty area last season. Specifically, Schmid has a penchant for finding runners in behind with perfectly weighted passes. This can either come after drifting closer to the touchline and deftly playing the ball forward with the outside of his right foot… … or it can be more in the left half-space to play zipped balls inside the full-back with a slide-rule pass. In Europe's top five leagues last season, only Brighton's Georginio Rutter has a higher share of passes made that were progressive than Schmid's 23 per cent. If it is searching, punchy creative actions that you are looking for, then the Austria international would provide good value in the market. Another Bundesliga option is Nadiem Amiri, who, like Gibbs-White, started his career as a pure No 10 before developing into a more all-round central midfielder. Advertisement After impressing as a youngster for Hoffenheim, Amiri earned a move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2019, where he became a key part of their midfield, playing either alongside or slightly behind Kai Havertz. Like Gibbs-White, who typically lines up as a No 10 but plays an all-action central midfield role, Amiri has dropped deeper into midfield with age. Now playing for Mainz, he is more frequently seen picking up the ball from defence and driving it through the middle third than providing the final pass in goal-scoring areas. While he is not a traditional No 10, he is still capable of providing goal contributions from midfield. He racked up seven goals and five assists in the Bundesliga last season — with a whipped free kick in a 4-1 win against Bochum arguably the pick of the bunch — and played an essential part as Mainz finished sixth, qualifying for the Europa Conference League. For his role in Mainz's impressive season, Amiri was rewarded with a Germany call-up in March, five years after his last cap against the Czech Republic. Amiri is not a name many Spurs fans outside of Germany will be familiar with, evoking memories of a transfer policy that centred on unearthing gems from around Europe and beyond. While a Premier League-proven option may help ease the blow of missing out on Gibbs-White, data indicates he could provide similar qualities to Frank's midfield. Equally important for Spurs, in addition to being a player who can move the ball incisively at speed, any incoming midfielder would ideally help to beef up the team's counter-pressing efforts. Gibbs-White would have brought athleticism and physicality to the midfield, a specialist second-ball winner who is just as helpful when it comes to preventing opposition counter-attacks as he is contributing to his team's own. In that regard, Athletic Club's Oihan Sancet emerges as an intriguing alternative. Standing at 188cm (6ft 2in), the 25-year-old is just off the back of his most prolific goalscoring season, netting 17 goals in all competitions from his second striker role. Advertisement Going forward, Sancet is technically secure, happy to receive the ball in tight spaces and spin away from pressure, a player whose first thought is usually forward. His catalogue of finishes from the season just gone is impressive; arriving late to sweep home from cutbacks, ghosting between centre-backs and getting his head to crosses, and striking the ball from distance. Here he is thumping home a volley at the back-post in a 7-1 rout of Real Valladolid earlier this season, displaying the technique that has driven a significant over-performance in front of goal since he became a regular in La Liga five seasons ago. "It's a belter of a goal!" 🎙️ Perfect technique on the volley from Oihan Sancet to make it 4-0 to Athletic Club 😮💨 — Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) February 23, 2025 As shown by their resistance to keep hold of Nico Williams this summer, striking a deal with Champions League-bound Athletic would be come easy. Ernesto Valverde's team are a fierce pressing side — only Barcelona recovered the ball more often in the attacking third last season — and Sancet played his part with aggressive pressing from the front. The asking price is sure to be high, but Sancet brings that blend of creativity, attacking threat and hard work without the ball that could help to plug a few gaps in Frank's new-look midfield. Another possible alternative is Harvey Elliott, who starred as England won the Under-21 European Championships this summer. Elliott, 22, is a lifelong Liverpool fan and has made it clear that he would prioritise staying in Merseyside if he found regular gametime under Arne Slot, but conceded that he will 'review his situation' in the coming weeks with the aim of playing at next year's World Cup. While Elliott has featured primarily as a wide player as a professional, he is typically most dangerous when coming inside and operating in the half-spaces. He is not a like-for-like alternative to Gibbs-White, but given Liverpool value him at around £50million ($67.7m), he represents a potentially exciting market opportunity. So, while losing out on Gibbs-White's signature will sting, there are several alternatives for Spurs to consider. They may not be as ready-made or familiar to Premier League audiences, but given their immediate need for a creative spark in midfield, a data-influenced signing from further afield may be the best route out of an awkward situation. (Top images: Romano Schmid and Oihan Sancet; Getty Images)
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Mikey Moore mistaken for Neymar as Rangers transfer target earns ultimate accolade from Tottenham star
A season loan agreement is 'expected' and Russell Martin might just be landing a gem - if James Maddison's prediction comes true Mikey Moore was once compared to NEYMAR by his own Tottenham team-mate. Rangers are reportedly set to land the highly-rated youngster on a season-long loan deal from the English Premier League side after beating off competition from clubs in England, according to Sky Sports. Russell Martin is desperate to add wide options to his Light Blues ranks and if he produces anywhere near the level James Maddison witnessed last season, it could turn out to be quite the piece of business. After a 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, the England international waxed lyrical over the 'fearless' youngster, who he compared to a superstar of the game. He said: 'From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing. "He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless. '[He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He's a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. "He takes in information, and he's got bags of ability, so I'll be there as an older player, hopefully with some wise words to help along the way. 'He's got all the ability. It's just about knuckling down and working hard, which he does to be fair to him.' Former Celtic and Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou responded to the high praise from Maddison and insisted Moore's mentality and attitude would mean that he would not be affected by what his team-mate said. He said: "I think we all understand with young players, you have to be careful but after the game, I don't get the sense that that's going to affect Mikey at all. "There's no denying he was great last night. I thought he was great the whole game. It's exciting for us. "He's ready to start any game, I just feel, especially with younger players, you've just got to be really careful about their introduction into senior football. "He's still physically growing, you have to take that into account so I think he's ready to play, start a Premier League game for sure but for me it's about making sure, for us, that we develop Mikey in the right way." Meanwhile, Rangers have lost two youngsters to Newcastle. Teenage duo Oliver Goodbrand and Alfie Hutchinson have swapped Ibrox for a crack at the EPL with the St James' Park outfit. Newcastle academy director, Steve Harper, said: 'Alfie and Oliver are two exciting additions to our academy and we're really pleased to bring them into the programme. "They've both shown strong potential at club and international level and arrive with a great attitude and a hunger to keep improving. "Our recruitment team deserve great credit for bringing Alfie and Oliver to the club and we're confident they'll benefit from the environment we've created here. "We're looking forward to seeing them both settle into the group and supporting their development as they take their next steps in the game."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Who will be Frank's number 10?
One of Thomas Frank's most reliable performers last season at Brentford was his elegant playmaker Mikkel 25-year-old was largely deployed as a number 10 in Frank's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and contributed 10 assists in 34 top-flight the Dane's work-rate - something Frank demands from his creative players - also caught the eye and he won possession 35 times in the final third last term, more than any other Premier League can anybody replicate Damsgaard's output for Frank in this Tottenham team?The obvious choice is James Maddison, who possesses the necessary creativity and passing ability - he scored nine goals and provided seven assists for Spurs in the league in 20024-25. However, he ran an average of 10.7km per game, which is the lowest of any of Tottenham's recognised Kulusevski was used centrally by Ange Postecoglou and is one of the side's most imaginative and industrious midfielders. The Sweden international chipped in with seven goals and four assists and covered an average of 12.4km per 90 minutes - only compatriot Lucas Bergvall ran further in a Spurs shirt last option is Mohammed Kudus, who played alongside Damsgaard at FC Nordsjaelland in 2019-20. The Ghana international mostly featured on the right at West Ham but has repeatedly said his preferred position is through the middle. He is a superb dribbler but created an average of just one chance per game from open play in 2024-25. Kulusevski is nursing a knee injury and had surgery in May, meaning it is likely to be a straight shootout between Kudus and Maddison - who has just recovered from his own knee problem – to fulfil that role in the short to medium Tottenham could still sign Nottingham Forest's number 10 and creator-in-chief Morgan Gibbs-White, who they made an approach for earlier this course, Spurs could always try to sign Damsgaard to join his former manager and play the role himself, but he did only extend his contract with the Bees until 2030 in up for news alerts on your Premier League team
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘They're gonna fall out…' – Tottenham fans fear for Kudus as Maddison shares awkward Van de Ven video after bust-up
FANS declared 'they're gonna fall out' after James Maddison shared an awkward interaction between Mohammed Kudus and Micky van de Ven. The pair have been reunited at Tottenham just nine months after clashing on the field — with Kudus receiving a FIVE-MATCH ban for his role in the ruckus. 4 4 4 The winger completed a £55million move to Spurs from West Ham this week after emerging as a top target for Thomas Frank. Kudus was desperate to leave the Hammers after two years in east London. And he is now set to be joined at his new club by Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. However, Kudus' switch to Spurs means he faces an awkward reunion with defender Van de Ven. The pair clashed during last year's game between Tottenham and West Ham, with Kudus sent off after lashing out at Van de Ven's face. The incident saw him land a five-game ban. And on Friday, new teammate Maddison stoked the fire as he shared an awkward clip of Kudus and Van de Ven dining at the same table. Kudus looked to be worlds away as he sat on his mobile phone, while Van de Ven looked over at him with a smirk on his face while flashing a quick thumbs-up. Maddison could also be heard chuckling in the background. And fans were left wondering whether the two would ever be able to get along following their history. Tottenham release new 'dark' away kit for 2025/26 season One said: 'Kudus is gonna fall out with the squad in training and end up smashing someone.' Another declared: 'Kudus is not happy.' One noted: 'Bro VDV hates him.' Another added: 'Maddison stirring for no reason.'
