Don Robbie

What players should the big six look to offload this January? By Jonny Bray There are a lot of players who are currently struggling for game time at one of the traditional 'big six' sides. From exciting academy prospects to £30 million signings, there are a wide variety of reasons why those players are struggling to break into the first team at their current clubs. But this January is an opportunity to break free and finally show what they can do when given a chance. Jesse Lingard After his performances for West Ham last season, a lot of fans and pundits were expecting big things from Jesse Lingard this season. Sadly, the attacking midfielder decided to stay at Old Trafford, limiting his first-team opportunities. Crucially, he's also wasted another year of his professional career on the bench at a club with no plan for him in the long term. He may not even be welcome back at West Ham now after their outstanding season, so where Lingard would end up is a mystery. But anythin...

Can Donny van de Beek save his Manchester United career? By Oli Dickson-Jefford In the aftermath of Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, the club’s official Twitter account shared a post celebrating Donny van de Beek making his 50th appearance for the Red Devils. As you would expect, the post received a rather mixed response. Van de Beek’s time in Manchester has not gone well; though he has played in 50 matches, his combined minutes are equivalent to just 20 full matches in total. The Dutchman joined for around £40m in August 2020 amid much hype and excitement from Man Utd fans, though he has failed to secure a regular starting XI spot. With his once incredibly promising career now flagging, does he have a future at the club or is time for van de Beek and Man Utd to part ways? What has gone wrong? The main issue here is that no one is quite sure why the former Ajax ace has not been able to force his way into the starting line-up. At Ajax, the 24-year-old largely played as ...

Player Profile: Giovanni Reyna By Jonny Bray Giovanni Reyna is widely regarded as one of European football's most exciting young talents. The Borussia Dortmund and USA star was born in Sunderland and is the son of former Premier League player Claudio Reyna, who represented the Black Cats and Manchester City during his time in England back in the early to mid 2000s. But now, his son is lighting up German football, quickly rising from an unknown to one of Dortmund's most exciting prospects. With such a history of bringing through elite players, fans could be forgiven for getting extremely excited about the midfielder. But what do you need to know about the USA international? What has he done so far? Reyna has achieved a lot despite being just 19 years old. He made his Dortmund debut at the very start of 2020, becoming the youngest American, aged 17 years and 66 days, ever to appear in the Bundesliga, breaking a record previously set by Christian Pulisic. We've all seen the im...

Was Romelu Lukaku treated unfairly after his recent interview? By Tom Masters Chelsea broke their transfer record in the summer when securing the services of Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan, but his involvement has been limited due to a mixture of injury and Covid, before his controversial interview with Sky Sport Italia. When he signed for £97.5m, it seemed inevitable that he would go on to become a vital asset to Chelsea and his start backed that up, scoring against Arsenal on debut before going on to score twice against Aston Villa in his first game at Stamford Bridge.  But following his outburst, which saw him dropped from the matchday squad for the Liverpool match, it seemed that Lukaku’s place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad could be at risk, with many fans unhappy with the fact he even did an interview, let alone what was said.  But following an apology and Tuchel doing his best to simmer any tension between Lukaku, the fans and his teammates, the Belgian is bac...

Should Spurs flog Dele Alli in January? By Jonny Bray There was a point in time where Dele Alli was one of the most highly-rated young players in the world. During his sensational 2015/16 season, the midfielder impressed with his finishing, skill and strength on the ball. He earned praise from well-respected figures in the game, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who believed that Alli would be the next big thing. Performances such as the one he produced in Tottenham’s win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park that season, made it look like the world was at his feet. The goal he scored in that game more than stands the test of time but things haven’t progressed quite how many fans had hoped. He went from 10 Premier League goals in his first season at Spurs to 18 in his second to nine in his third but has regressed so much that he’s scored just one goal in his last 25 league appearances. It’s not good enough for a player who showed so much promise at such an early age. But should Spurs sell...

  Is it time for Liverpool to sell Joe Gomez? By Jack Lacey-Hatton For so long last season the heart of defence was a major issue for Liverpool. This time 12 months ago, following a horrible injury to Virgil Van Djik, centre-half had become a weak spot for the Reds, who suffered a disappointing loss of form in January. But now Jurgen Klopp’s team once again has one of the strongest backlines in Europe, with a range of options in the middle of defence. The summer arrival of Ibrahima Konaté, has added depth to a squad that already boasted Joel Matip, and arguably the best-in-the-world, Van Djik. But the signing of Konaté, has also put Joe Gomez in a sticky position. The English defender has suffered numerous injury problems in recent seasons, and while he does look a force to be reckoned with when on the pitch, is it now time to review whether his services should be retained.  Both Real Madrid and Aston Villa are being linked with a move for him when the January window opens in ...

Should Spurs have sold Harry Kane to rebuild?  By  Oli Dickson Jefford It was arguably the biggest transfer saga of the summer. Harry Kane, captain of England and hero at his boyhood club Tottenham, looked to be heading to Manchester City for an eye-watering £160m. Yet, after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy refused to give an inch in any negotiations, Kane stayed in North London. That came after the striker reportedly didn’t show up to training and was allegedly trying to force a move, angering some Tottenham fans in the process. And the off-pitch drama may have caught up with the 28-year-old this season, scoring just one Premier League goal and looking a shadow of the man who is the club’s second-highest goalscorer. With his form nose-diving and only showing limited signs of recovery, one big question looms: should Spurs have cashed in on their star man and rebuilt? Haunted by Bale reinvestment Tottenham found themselves in this situation back in 2013 when Gareth Bal...