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Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that Steven Bergwijn’s omission from the Dutch squad for Euro 2020 was extremely worrying.

Bergwijn had been a regular for his national team prior to his arrival in north London but has won just three caps in more than 18 months since he made the switch from PSV in January 2020.

The wide man has initially made a blistering start to his career at Tottenham, scoring three times in his first six Premier League appearances, including fine strikes against both Manchester clubs.

However, since firing past David De Gea in the first post-lockdown game, Bergwijn has found the net just once in 45 outings across all competitions for Spurs.

Such was Bergwijn’s underwhelming form, he didn’t even make Frank de Boer’s squad for Netherlands’ disappointing European Championships campaign, which ended abruptly in the first knockout round.

Despite missing a golden opportunity against Manchester City last Sunday, the 23-year-old has made an encouraging start to the season – and claimed the assist for Heung-min Son’s winner against the champions.

But Bridge told FFC that being overlooked in what he describes as an “average” Holland side, speaks volumes:

“To not get in a very, very average Dutch squad is very concerning. They are a bang average national team, and to not be in their squad was, although in his defence you can’t impress from the bench.”

After falling to a dismal opening day defeat to Watford last weekend, Aston Villa will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

Dean Smith’s side will welcome back their home fans for their first full capacity game at Villa Park for a long time, and should be confident of picking up their first points of the new Premier League season against the Magpies.

One man who the Villa boss must surely consider starting against the Tyneside club is summer signing Leon Bailey.

Speaking before Villa officially confirmed that they had reached an agreement with Leverkusen over his transfer, the club’s former defender Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaican speedster.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

That speed and directness could give Buendia the perfect player to try and find with his intricate passing, as well as offering Villa an added threat in behind to supplement Danny Ings’ movement off the ball.

The £31.5m-rated star came off the bench to great effect against Watford last weekend, marking his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback.

This time around, in front of the Villa Park faithful, Bailey will be hoping to put on a show and lead his team to victory, and Smith must surely let him off the leash from the start.

He could well be the team’s game-changer against Newcastle today.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have been handed a major transfer boost over this star…

Matheus Pereira’s move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal was a shock, says West Brom journalist Luke Hatfield.

Last season, Pereira really shone in the Premier League. In 33 appearances, the Brazilian attacker managed to come up with 17 goal contributions in a side that went on to get relegated.

It sparked plenty of summer interest, particularly from Premier League clubs, with the Daily Express claiming at one point that West Ham, Leicester City and RB Leipzig all wanted to sign the player.

In the end, though, the King Fahd International Stadium turned out to be Pereira’s destination in a development that left Hatfield surprised.

“It was surprising,” the Express & Star journalist told FFC. “I think the interest wasn’t, but the likelihood of an actual deal going through was. It was a shock.

“I think what probably pushed it through was the player’s statement. He came out after comments from Valerien Ismael saying he wasn’t committed and then he issued a statement which was a very strange one saying that he was committed to the club but still wanted to leave.”

Indeed, it is probably fair to say things did not exactly end on a good note. Still, West Brom fans will surely be grateful to Pereira for his contribution.

He, of course, helped the Baggies win promotion to the Premier League back in the 2019/20 season and did everything in his power to keep them there.

USMNT fullback Kristoffer Lund scored a long-range missile for Palermo in their clash against Ternana.

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• Lund scores missile for Palermo
• USMNT fullback's first Serie B goal
• Ternana win 3-2 in disappointing loss

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The leftback opened the scoring for the Italian side in their match on Tuesday, scoring a brilliant top-bins effort in the left corner of the net to level things 1-1 in the 19th minute. However, his stupendous goal was not enough for Palermo on the day, with Ternana scoring two more in the second half to claim a 3-2 victory.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With no true backup to starting fullback Antonee Robinson on the left side of the pitch, Lund emerged in 2023 as one of the latest dual-national commits for the USMNT. He impressed during his three international appearances toward the end the calendar year, and is now being considered for a first-team roster spot heading into major tournaments in 2024.

  The Concacaf Nations League semifinals this March will see the USMNT take on Jamaica, while this summer will see them compete in both the Copa America and the Paris Olympic Games.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LUND AND PALERMO?

  In their push for promotion to Serie A, they took a step backward on Tuesday, but Palermo have had a brilliant campaign so far regardless. They sit 5th in Serie B, four points outside an automatic promotion spot – with the likes of Cremonese and Venezia in spots 1 and 2.

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after James Pearce provided an update regarding plans for the Reds’ midfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s side began their Premier League season on Saturday evening, making the trip to Norwich City. Liverpool produced a superb performance, cruising to a 3-0 victory at Carrow Road as they made the perfect start to their campaign.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Diogo Jota opened the scoring in the first half before Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah found the net after the interval.

One area where Liverpool didn’t always look convincing, though, was in midfield, with James Milner anchoring it and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita in front of him.

Although Keita did well overall, the trio didn’t wholly convince as a unit, with Fabinho making a difference when he came on, allowing the Reds to boss proceedings even more.

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the game, Pearce claimed that the midfield on show at Norwich won’t be used again, with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago returning to the fray soon.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy-4/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans love James Pearce update

These Liverpool fans reacted gleefully to the update from Pearce via Anfield Watch on Twitter.

“GOOD NEWS PEARCEEEE”

Credit: @bacnlfc

“Dreams really do come true…”

Credit: @_Roselynn

“Man with the defence back, front 3 firing and this midfield 3, our first 11 will be unstoppable”

Credit: @F1Bennn

“Fabinho Henderson Thiago, that’s what we want”

Credit: @SamNikeng

“The league is in trouble when we start Fab Thiago Hendo”

Credit: @mytypa_

“Some good news here”

Credit: @davidaheebwa3

In other news, some Liverpool fans are ecstatic after an update regarding one Reds player. Find out who it is here.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the long-term injuries to Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber.

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• Arteta gives updates on Partey and Timber
• Timber could return before end of season
• Partey could return very soon for Gunners

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Timber may recover from an ACL injury before the season ends, Arteta has acknowledged. The Dutch international, who joined from Ajax in the summer, won numerous accolades for his preseason exploits. Sadly, he hasn't played since suffering a knee injury in the first Premier League match of the season against Nottingham Forest.

  As for Partey, Arteta has hinted that the midfielder could make his return to action against Newcastle on Saturday evening. The midfielder has made only four appearances in the Premier League this season having suffered with a number of problems.

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• WHAT ARTETA SAID

  Talking during his press conference, Arteta said [via football.london]: "Will Timber be able to return before the end of the season? I really hope so. He’s doing really well. He’s been with some players on the pitch. He’s going to start to do some bits with us on the pitch in the next week or so. Then we’ll have to see how he’s doing, his confidence level, his fitness level. Hopefully, the answer will be yes.

  "Will Partey return this week? Let’s see. We have another session today. He’s been out for many, many months now. We need to really nail the timing of when he has enough in the tank to compete. But I think he’s very close."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Timber has been making progress and made his first steps back out onto the grass during the mid-season training camp in Dubai. Since then, the 22-year-old has intensified his recuperation. As for Partey, his absence has become far too common an occurrence for the Gunners but due to Declan Rice and Jorginho's addition over the last 18 months, Partey's importance in the squad has deteriorated.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  The Gunners will continue their battle for the title when they take on Newcastle United on Saturday, February 24. They will look to hit the ground running as they look to get over their Champions League loss to Porto earlier.

Andre Onana has brutally been told that his weaknesses are his “abilities as a goalkeeper” following an poor start to life at Manchester United.

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• Cameroonian signed for big money from Inter
• Yet to convinced in English football
• Talk of Spanish star being brought back

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Cameroon international was acquired by the Red Devils in the summer transfer window when a £48 million ($60m) deal with Serie A giants Inter was pushed through. Onana was considered to be the perfect choice to succeed long-serving David de Gea between the sticks at Old Trafford.

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  While his ball-playing ability has never been in doubt, questions are being asked of Onana’s struggles to keep opposition shots out of the back of his net. A number of costly mistakes have been made, leading some to suggest that Spanish shot-stopper De Gea could be invited back to Manchester as a free agent.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  Former United defender Paul Parker, who won two Premier League titles during his time with the Red Devils, is not a fan of Onana and has told of how the 27-year-old is falling well short of expectations: “Andre Onana´s weaknesses have to be his abilities as a goalkeeper, especially his ability to save the balls, his shot stopper abilities and his handling. He is erratic and he is never in control of his saves, it bounces off him. I hope it will be a David De Gea story, where he all of a sudden he gets to understand English football. Everyone keeps telling me how great he was for Inter Milan but I just can't see it. Italian football is not as intense as English football and he is challenged a lot more now than he was in Italy.”

  Parker added: “David De Gea was a goalkeeper you could rely on and Onana is not that. David De Gea´s mind was right, and I´m wondering if he will ever perform well for Man United. His strengths… What are his strengths actually? I don´t know. It has to be that he is actually decently confident on the ball but he is still miles away from Ederson or Allison, even though everyone expected him to be on that level with his feet. He is definitely struggling both mentally and physically, way more than he did in Italy.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amid the talk of De Gea potentially being offered a route back to Old Trafford, Parker said of United’s former No.1 – who is a four-time Player of the Year award winner at the Theatre of Dreams: “People were very cynical and disrespectful to David De Gea because he was better at saving balls than playing as an outfield player, but we have to say that Onana is not that good with his feet. He might be above average and it tells me a lot if people were highlighting his abilities with his feet if he is not better than what he has shown so far. I think everyone can see that Onana has a poor back four in front of him, but De Gea had that as well and he did what he did and Onana has never been close to doing that.”

USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter has admitted to fans that he realizes he is an "easy target" for critics when it comes to national team performances.

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• Berhalter speaks at fan Round Table
• Admits he's "easy target" for critics
• Asks for "patience" ahead of major tournaments

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a fan round tabke in Washington D.C. with American Outlaw supporters, Berhalter addressed some of the criticism that has been handed his way since taking over in 2019. Recently, the USMNT has lost three of their last five games – and now, heading into two major tournaments in 2024, that criticism has resurfaced.

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  WHAT BERHALTER SAID

  When asked about the dubbed "lack of progress" the USMNT has made by a fan, Berhalter responded by countering with an opposite take, sharing the accolades that they have obtained during his tenure.

  “It’s about patience,” he said. “We’re achieving things. We’ve won two Nations Leagues and have one left… We won a Gold Cup. We went to the second round of the World Cup. We got five points, two shutouts in the last World Cup, and there’s been a lot of progress. So it’s not just like, patience without progress. We’re making progress. The other thing I think people really forget is how young we were at the World Cup. I think it just gets ignored sometimes.”

  The USMNT boss, did however, relay that he understands why critics target him and why his name is so often in the headlines – even when he's not related to the subject.

  “The national team job is such an easy target,” he said. “I mean, that’s the thing about it — there’s one national team coach, right? It’s easy to target that person or that program, so it’s part of the job. I always say that there’s no pressure that can be added from the outside that we don’t already put on ourselves. That’s the entire team — players, coaches, everyone.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT boss, per the World Football ELO Rating System, has struggled against top sides in matches while in control of the USMNT. Per that metric, Berhalter has not beaten a top-25 ranked world soccer side since taking over in 2019, and in 14 matches against European or South American opposition, they've only claimed victory three times: against Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Ireland.

  Despite the ELO report, the USSF trusts that Berhalter is the man to lead the USMNT into the 2024 Copa America – and eventually, the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BERHALTER AND THE USMNT?

  The semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League take center-stage this March, with the USMNT taking on Jamaica for a berth in the finals. The USA are looking to win their third-straight Nations League title. After, Berhalter's side will prepare for the Copa America 2024 with a blockbuster friendly against Colombia.

Paul Pogba “only thinks” about returning to competitive action and “trains all the time” during his ban at Juventus, says the Frenchman’s agent.

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• France international unable to play at present
• Waiting on outcome of sporting trial
• Hoping to get his career back on track

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The World Cup-winning midfielder is currently serving a suspension after failing a drugs test. Pogba initially posted elevated levels of testosterone following a Serie A game with Udinese on August 20. The B sample provided during that test also came back positive for the testosterone-boosting hormone DHEA.

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  Pogba’s ban in Turin has been extended indefinitely, with it possible that his contract could be terminated if he is found guilty of doping offenses at a sporting trial. The 30-year-old is still fighting his corner and hopes to return to action in the not too distant future.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Pogba’s representative, Rafaela Pimenta, has told of plans for her client: “We see the future one day after the other. We are doing everything we must to try to explain what is happening with Paul. But this explanation has to happen in front of a judge. I think that to enable a judge to have independence and to reach his conclusions as he has to reach, we cannot influence him with public comments. We have our arguments, very serious and very important, and I have to offer the judge to endorse these arguments without trying to influence him. We are doing everything we have to do. Those who know Paul know what has happened. They know that Paul is an honest, correct person and that he always does things with integrity. He is living it with confidence and professionalism. He trains all the time and only thinks about getting through these difficult moments to come back.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Pressed on whether Pogba could be cleared to resume his career immediately once his case has been heard, Pimenta added: “We are working for this. I have confidence in the system. I have the tendency to trust until proven otherwise. I only have signs that it is a system that works. I hope you can understand our position.” The France international is tied to a contract at Juventus through to 2026.

Christian Pulisic admits that things are “not flowing right now”, with form proving difficult to find for AC Milan in the Champions League.

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• Italian heavyweights bottom of their group
• Still looking for first European win of 2023-24
• American forward offering no excuses for wobble

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Serie A giants find themselves rooted to the foot of Group F after three games, with the Rossoneri picking up just two points from a possible nine. Their latest setback – having opened with back-to-back goalless draws with Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund – came in a humbling 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  USMNT star Pulisic admits that Milan are still searching for a spark – having also lost their last Serie A game to fellow title hopefuls Juventus – with the American forward telling : “We weren't clinical enough – I have to put a chance away today. It's on us, we just have to keep working. I guess it's just not flowing right now but it will come again. I think we just have to keep our heads up. It doesn't feel like a game we should lose 3-0, I think is the message. We were in the game for most of it and just let it slip away from us. We'll be fine going forward, we're a confident bunch of guys. The good thing with this schedule is we have another game in a couple of days and we can rebound.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Milan have domestic outings against Napoli and Udinese to come before playing host to PSG on November 7 in their next European outing, with Pulisic admitting that a winning run is now a must. He added: “We have to focus on the next game. We're not out of it yet, we just need to string a couple of wins together. We've had some tough games in some tough stadiums but that's no excuse, we need to turn it around and we need to win.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in were on target for PSG at Parc des Princes, with Pulisic and Co unable to find a way through despite firing in 11 efforts on goal in the French capital.