Spurs sacked by Chelsea loanee Postecoglou among random post-Christmas players

A busy schedule during the festive season requires creative solutions, such as calling up £30m to Chelsea’s loanees or signing Sergio Reguilon.

It feels like a unique Twixmas thing to do with fringe squad players and the first games since Boxing Day have not disappointed so far. Here’s the most random feature call that’s barely made it all season.

James Hill
Anthony Errola suggested back in March that Hill would be “valuable” for Bournemouth, but only recently has it really been possible to gauge his value to the Cherries.

A £1m signing from Fleetwood in January 2022, versatile defender Hill had loan spells with Hearts and Blackburn before making his Premier League debut two years later. As the same month saw a comprehensive win for Liverpool in the first top flight, only the latest replacement cameos were made available for a single player.

But with Areola expanding his squad – his bench against Fulham included Max Aarons, Will Dennis, Mark Travers, Archie Harris and Max Kinsey, possibly the most Bournemouth names – to replace Adam Smith. The honor went to 22-year-old Hill.

The chance was maximized with a delightful assist for Avenelson, though Anthony Robinson was set up for one of Fulham’s goals.

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Ben Winterburn
Another member of that wonderful Bournemouth bench. The midfielder turned 20 in September, only made his first Premier League matchday squad on November 30 and spent last season with sixth-tier mid-table Weymouth. His father can also be called Nigel. No idea.

Willie spoke.
Almost not a random name but perhaps an unexpected appearance. Boley started for Forest on the opening weekend and played just two of his subsequent 17 Premier League games, both as a stoppage-time substitute to push the defense forward in a one-goal win.

Boley himself had no realistic hope of breaking the Melenkovic-Morello partnership and even when the latter was withdrawn from the starting line-up against Everton with an injury in the warm-up, Ramon Sousa was replaced by the team. I was promoted.

Bolly replaced the Paraguayan in the 69th minute, immediately booked for time-wasting, helping to cement a two-goal lead and in the process qualify for a Premier League winner’s medal at the end of the season. Increased the chances of it happening.

Ramon Sosa
“He will have to work hard to get into the team,” said Nuno Espirito Santo of the £11m signing of the clearly talented but inexperienced winger. Sosa was handed a start in the Carabao defeat by Newcastle but was otherwise a perennial Premier League substitute, making his first 11 appearances in the competition from the bench.

There is no doubt that Sosa worked hard but his big break came with Morello’s injury and Nuno’s pre-match switch to formation. The 25-year-old should have repaid that belief with a first-half goal, but he contributed enough to Everton’s win.

Sergio Reguelin
Back in October, Ange Postecoglou explained that “we need 20 players to train” when Spurs supporters were stunned to see Reguilon during a session before a Europa League game, a competition for which They are not eligible, due to not being named in their squad.

By November, He was completely ostracized by Postecoglou. And was reportedly planning to end a contract that is set to expire at the end of the season.

Before the turn of the year, 2024’s incredible Spurs injury epidemic reached the point where Reguilon was forced to make his first Premier League appearance for Spurs since April 2022, a situation facing Matt Doherty. done in what was apparently designed to give Antonio Conte Infuriating flashbacks as the Wolves’ longtime goal.

James McAtee
It wasn’t a big deal for Manchester City to hold on for just their second win since October 26 but even a decent cameo from McAtee showed the power of fresh ideas and relatively new faces when things got too stale. were

McAtee’s first five Premier League appearances for Manchester City totaled 21 minutes. His sixth came on 24 and was truly crucial in finally toppling Leicester to the King Power.

It won’t be enough to stop Pep Guardiola from going ahead with the January recruitment drive he feels is necessary to salvage this season, but McAtee can’t be blamed for blowing his chance.

Read next: Guardiola knows that a Manchester City win doesn’t solve any problems because Leicester have nothing to fear either.

Armando Bruja
Dominic Calvert Lyon has his critics but fingers can be pointed at the one-striker system which manages to stifle this one striker in particular.

He has started 16 of a possible 18 Premier League games this season. Beto and Bruja were given the nod in the others, a 4–0 defeat to Manchester United and a 2–0 reverse against Nottingham Forest respectively, with Calvert Lyon brought on in the 67th or 68th minute.

There are no tougher tasks than leading a lone front against this Forest defence, not least as a 23-year-old with a long-term injury and plenty of recent upheaval at club level. Three off-target shots and three fouls almost certainly equate to an imminent Calvert-Lewin miss.