Roberto De Zerbi in negotiations with Spurs to become next manager
A disastrous season for Spurs is in urgent need of a helping hand, and Roberto De Zerbi is in talks to become that man. Following Igor Tudor’s mutual exit yesterday, Spurs are now in desperate need of a turnaround to save themselves from potential relegation. Igor Tudor’s reign wasn’t pleasant for Spurs fans to say the least. The Croatian suffered five defeats and lasted 44 days. And after the recent defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forrest, it was the inevitable Tudor wouldn’t manage the club again. Tottenham are now just one point away from the relegation drop and only have seven wins to their name all season, with seven matches remaining. However, former Brighton and Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi, is now in talks to become the man to keep Spurs afloat in the Premier League. De Zerbi took Brighton to their highest finish ever in Premier League history, breaking records and finishing 6th, taking the club to their first European competition. Something that former Spurs interim boss Tudor has never came across. Which has now resulted in Tottenham fans crying out loud for a manager with that vital Premier League experience. If De Zerbi is appointed, will he be able to steady the ship and keep Tottenham Hotspur playing Premier League football next season?
Rabbi Matondo to depart Rangers in the coming days
The Welsh international is expected to leave Rangers and join SK Brann in the Norwegian top flight. Matondo, who only has three months left on his Rangers contract, is expected to leave the club early after a Rangers career poisoned with injuries. The 25-year-old winger was unexpectedly called up to the Welsh international side this international break. However, he wasn’t included in Wales’s disappointing defeat to Bosnia in hope to qualify for the World Cup. Matondo has played just one minute in the league and made two Scottish Cup appearances for Rangers this season. Even when Matondo is fit, he is still unable to convince manager Danny Rohl. So, a move away from the club would most likely be suited for both parties. Matondo is likely to sign a short deal with the Norwegian club, but the Welshman will surely be looking forward to getting a fresh start after what’s been a disappointing Rangers career.
“I was scared” – Returning McGinn feared World Cup dream was over
John McGinn admits he was “petrified” after being forced off with injury in January, casting doubt over his World Cup place, as the Aston Villa captain looks ahead to their maiden tournament appearance for 28 years. Speaking ahead of their latest friendly against the Ivory Coast in Merseyside, McGinn recalled the panic from the injury at Villa Park. “I remember right away feeling, oh, this isn’t right. It was 10, 15 minutes into the game, I blocked a pass against Everton, and I knew right away, so my hand goes up, and obviously, I’ve known experienced players who have done serious knee injuries six months plus, feeling able to walk off. “I was petrified, really, but then you get the scan, and you wait, and thankfully it was good news that it was only a minor knee injury. “The knee obviously reacts in different ways to surgery, but it could have been a lot, lot worse. It was expected to be six to eight weeks. Managed to come back in six weeks.” “I thought it was an important time for the club, an important time of the season, big games, but then, as the days went on, it started to swell more and there was more fluid in the knee,” he recalls. “So, as much as I like to think I could have braved on, it was clear quite soon that I needed the surgery. As you get older, of course, you need to look after your body. I’m 31 now, so to do anything crazy would be wild.” Ten years ago this past weekend, McGinn collected the first of 84 international caps against Denmark. The former Hibs midfielder appreciated the journey he and his teammates have embarked on. “It was a friendly against a team who had qualified, but we had nothing to play for,” he recalls. “It does seem like a long time ago, but the way we’ve evolved as a group of players is huge. “How far we’ve come is incredible.” Having represented Scotland at back-to-back European Championships, McGinn understands the rise in expectations from the Tartan Army ahead of their overseas trip to Boston and Miami. “There’s still so much we’ve got to improve, we know that,” he says. “But we’re a small country, fighting against bigger nations. We don’t have the same luxuries that they do. But what we do have is grit and determination. “Was this our best campaign? No, probably not in terms of performances. But we had one objective, and that was to finish first in the group, create some history, and we managed to do that.”
