Premier League

ERIK TEN HAG is hoping to nullify Harry Kane when Manchester United visit Tottenham on Thursday.Spurs are looking to bounce back from their 6-1 defeat to Newcastle and Kane will be key to doing so.
Erik ten Hag has a plan to stop Harry KaneCredit: Alamy
Manchester United kept Kane quiet when the two sides last metCredit: Getty
But United kept him quiet in their previous meeting this season, and produced one of their most accomplished displays in the 2-0 win.
Ten Hag believes he knows what to do to stop the striker once again and revealed there is a plan in place to deal with Kane.
He said: “It is quite clear his impact on the game.
“We have a plan, of course, for that. In the first game we did very well so for tomorrow we need that very good plan as well.
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“You have to defend him as a team and he is a clever player, so don’t allow him to come in the situations where he can have a big impact on the game.”
Ten Hag is a big fan of Kane and he has reportedly made the England captain his no1 summer transfer target.
Spurs have been holding out for £100million for their record goalscorer – but United hope they will accept an offer below that.
It is believed the Red Devils board have sanctioned an £80m opening offer for their priority transfer target.
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It is thought Ten Hag implored his seniors to stump up the cash because he is desperate to secure the striker to transform his side into genuine title contenders and therefore wants to open talks as soon as possible.
Kane is wanted by plenty of Europe’s top clubs including Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea, and he is thought to be open to an Old Trafford switch. More

THIS former Premier League star once played for some of the country’s biggest clubs.But he admits to going on drinking binges when he wasn’t picked in the starting XI.
Wigan star Steven Caulker has bravely opened up about his issues with alcoholCredit: Getty
The former Spurs defender would drink until he blacked out when he was not pickedCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Steven Caulker has bravely revealed he used to get “blackout” drunk after struggling to deal with anxiety from previous binges.
And the one-time England international even woke up in “police cells” and “hospital beds” after forgetting his antics from the night before.
Caulker, 31, currently plays in the Championship for Wigan Athletic.
But in his prime, the centre-back starred in the Premier League for sides like Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton.
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Caulker also enjoyed top-flight spells with Swansea, Cardiff and QPR.
And his travels even took him as far as Turkey, where he played for four different sides.
But Caulker admits there was a dark side to the beautiful game.
And his personal battle involved copious amounts of alcohol.
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The centre-back had a spell at LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
Caulker was only ever capped once by EnglandCredit: PA:Press Association
The now-Sierra Leone international admits he did not take well to rejection while at Spurs, turning to drink whenever he failed to make the team.
Caulker’s binges were so extreme he would often wake up in police custody, in hospital, or even “covered in blood” on the street.
And post-drinking anxiety affected him so badly that he often turned to booze again, going so far as to arrive at training still drunk before “throwing up in the toilets.”
Caulker told the Under The Cosh podcast: “You’ve got your family and friends there, then it comes to an hour-and-a-half before the game and you’re not even in the squad.
“Nothing’s been communicated to you, you just see your shirt’s not there.
“As a youngster I struggled to process that, and it was just met with rage, and then I’d self-sabotage, I just to go home, just walk away.
“I remember it was West Brom away for Tottenham, I just walked outside, got in the taxi straight back to London and I called my boys on the way back and said, ‘let’s go out’, and we’d go out and get smashed.
“I had a huge problem with alcohol. Not every time I drink but three times out of 10 I’ll black out, and from that moment I don’t remember anything.
“I’d wake up in police cells, I’d wake up in hospital beds, I’ve woken up on the street covered in blood, no recollection. Scary.
“The anxiety after that. For anyone who’s ever been in that cycle will know the next thing to do is drink again.
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“Because I can’t handle the anxiety and the fear. Drink again, block it out. And by the time I’m back training Monday, I’m either still drunk or I’m f***ed because I’m hungover.
“I’d be throwing up in the toilets trying to find a way to get through training. That was a vicious, vicious cycle.”
Caulker now represents Sierra Leone at international levelCredit: Getty More

TOTTENHAM coach Gianni Vio is the last man standing out of Antonio Conte’s backroom team.Christian Stellini was sacked as interim boss on Monday following the dreadful 6-1 defeat to Newcastle.
Antonio Conte brought Gianni Vio to Tottenham last summerCredit: Getty
Vio is the last coach standing of Conte’s backroom team following Christian Stellini’s departureCredit: Getty
Several others who were part of Conte’s coaching team followed him out of the exit door, but they were not joined by Vio according to the Evening Standard.
The Italian joined Tottenham as set-piece coach last summer, having previously helped Italy win Euro 2020 alongside Roberto Mancini.
Vio reportedly has 4,830 routines in his arsenal and his impact on the team is likely why the Spurs hierarchy decided to keep him.
Per Stats Perform, Tottenham rank joint second in the Premier League for most goals scored from set-pieces with 14, and are top for goals from corners.
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The 69-year-old once worked as a banker before rising through the Italian football pyramid with spells at Palermo, Catania, Fiorentina and AC Milan.
He has also worked for DC United and Prem pair Leeds and Brentford.
When asked about the secret to his success, Vio answered: “All I’ll say is you need to analyse the players that you have and find solutions tailor-made to their skill set.
“There are players whose reading of the game is special.
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“At the highest level, Sergio Ramos comes to mind. Wherever you put the ball, you can bet he’ll find a way to get on the end of it.
“Timing is the most important thing when it comes to finishing off a set piece.” More

MANCHESTER UNITED fans are raving about a wonderkid dubbed the “answer to Lionel Messi” after he scored a cheeky goal. Shea Lacey is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the hottest prospects at the club.
Shea Lacey scored an incredible solo goalCredit: manutd.com
He has been dubbed ‘Man Utd’s answer to Lionel Messi’Credit: manutd.com
The 16-year-old has been tipped for big thingsCredit: manutd.com
Lacey is predominately a wingerCredit: Getty
His most recent strike for the Under-18s has supporters believing he is the next big thing.
The 16-year-old danced his way through the Wolves defence, beating two opponents and then cleverly scooping his shot over the goalkeeper into the roof of the net.
His confidence was shown in his celebration as the attacker grinned and walked away calmly as his team-mates embraced him.
The quality of the goal was emphasised by the commentator, who said: “That is incredible, that is absolutely stunning from Shea Lacey, a piece of magic on the byline.
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“He’s taken everybody by surprise but that finish is special, take a bow.”
Fans were also left stunned, one said: “Shea Lacey is our answer to Lionel Messi.”
A second added: “Shea Lacey. Remember the name. Carrington has another very, very special player within its gates.”
Another reacted: “It’s early days, but Lacey is shaping up to be one of the most talented players Carrington has ever produced. This finish should not be possible.”
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The Liverpool-born star also shone later in the game, going on another trademark solo run, which supporters are fast getting used to.
Lacey has scored two and assisted just as many for the Man Utd Under-18s in nine matches.
Eagle-eyed supporters also noticed that the Red Devils netted an incredible free-kick at the same time as his goal on the pitch behind them. More

CHELSEA whiz Carney Chukwuemeka has been approached over making a shock international switch.That’s despite clocking up 24 appearances across England’s youth teams.
Chelsea’s Carney Chukwuemeka has been approached by Austria to snub EnglandCredit: Getty
Chukwuemeka, 19, is in his first season at Chelsea following a £20million move from Aston Villa last summer.
The attacking midfielder has made 12 appearances in all competitions.
But he is yet to score after being limited to less than four hours of Premier League football.
Chukwuemeka’s international career has fared slightly better after making his England U20s bow in September.
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The ace has played six times for Ian Foster’s side.
And he was a regular in the U17s, U18s and U19s before that.
However, talkSPORT claims Chukwuemeka may not end up playing for either the U21s or the senior side.
That’s because he has been approached to represent Austria.
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The teen was born in the central European country to Nigerian parents before moving to England at an early age.
As a result, Chukwuemeka is eligible to play for all three countries.
And Austria have made their move with a bold bid for him to switch allegiances.
The national team is currently managed by ex-Man United boss Ralf Rangnick.
He is a big fan of developing young players and reckons Chukwuemeka can make an instant impact.
The midfielder wouldn’t be the first to snub the Three Lions.
Jamal Musiala opted to play for Germany after swapping Chelsea for Bayern Munich.
And Wilfried Zaha eventually declared for Ivory Coast after being made to wait for an England shot. More