All posts by h716a5.icu

When Liverpool host Leicester tomorrow at Anfield, it would have been 11 days since their last competitive match. 

The Reds have subsequently been to Dubai and back for a mid-season break, ready for their charge for their first Premier League title, knowing that they need to win their next fourteen games to guarantee it.

However, what is most significant about Liverpool’s break is that in that space of time, their title rivals Man City would have played a staggering four times. They played the following day in the Premier League, faced Burton in the League Cup, hosted Burnley in the FA Cup and travel to Newcastle tonight in the league.

Now, they have brushed three of those opponents aside with consummate ease, and it is likely that they will beat Newcastle tonight. However, had they been given the choice between their schedule and Liverpool’s break, they would surely have chosen the break. The trouble is, it does not get any easier as they are still in both cups.

Of course, Liverpool are still in the Champions League, but it is safe to say that their workload is going to be far less than their rivals this season, and that may give them the edge. Some fans will say that Man City are at an advantage playing a day before Liverpool, meaning they can go within one point ahead of Jürgen Klopp’s men, but Pep Guardiola would also want as much time to give his players a rest, particularly with Arsenal visiting at the weekend.

This title race will go down to the wire, and each team will look for any advantage that they can get. Liverpool may have been handed a major boost.

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Celtic have been credited with an interest in Fulham’s Tyrese Francois by Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

The midfielder is out of contract at the end of this season, at which point Celtic would be able to sign him in a compensation deal.

Celtic have exploited this route in recent seasons and were able to turn around a huge profit on Moussa Dembele as well as using the striker to help the Hoops to a double treble.

Celtic are fairly well off for midfielders, but are always on the lookout for emerging talents.

Crystal Palace and Valencia are also interested in Francois, suggesting he has some potential – either that or a very imaginative agent.

Shrewd business

Selectively picking up on this type of signing has to be a very viable option for Celtic in the current market place.

Showcasing Dembele has to be the way ahead – illustrating what two Champions League campaigns can do for a player’s profile.

18-year-old Francois could well enjoy a similar rise if opportunities allow him to be involved in Celtic’s first team squad next season, although he’s yet to feature for Fulham in senior competition outside of the EFL trophy.

The star of the show for West Ham United against a mighty opposition on Monday night was once again young Declan Rice. The hard-working midfielder put on another admirable performance, keeping Liverpool’s midfield quiet as well as nullifying their attacking threat.

The twenty-year-old is the Hammers beloved possession right now and quickly becoming a fan-favourite. Possession the ability to operate both as a centre-back as well as a defensive midfielder, Rice has really thrived in a midfield role. An energetic figure in the middle, Rice always keeps his opposition on their toe and works his way into nullifying their threat.

The youngster’s crowning moment came when he scored the winner against Arsenal, his first for the club. However, it’s not his goals or assists, but his defensive capabilities which must have impressed big sides. In a league full of teams desperate for a stable defensive midfielder, Rice easily fit into sides like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur or even Manchester United.

He’s also reportedly being chased by a few and considering the ability in his arsenal, he should look for a big move soon. Rice’s 64% tackling success, 36 interceptions and 192 recoveries (stats via WhoScored) of possession prove how much of an intelligent, tough-working midfielder he really is.

Declan Rice possesses the pedigree to thrive at the top and could become England’s mainstay midfield option if honed well. Watching his passion during games, maturity and ability to turn up on the big occasions, the Hammers’ youngster is destined to evolve into a potential world-class midfielder.

Like Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand before him, Rice will surely outgrow his current settings.

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According to The Express, Liverpool are keen on a move for Leeds’ Jack Clarke as Jurgen Klopp plans for the future amidst a title race that is very much in the present – having kept their money in their wallets and their wallets in their pockets in January, another summer spending spree is surely on the cards at Anfield and Clarke could be a part of that.

The 18-year-old has chalked up two goals and two assists for the Whites, who currently sit second in the Championship standings, as Marcelo Bielsa bloods youth amid his thin squad’s bid for the title.

Should Leeds be promoted to the Premier League, the Elland Road outfit will be in a far better position to keep hold of the starlet but, should they fall at the final hurdle, there will be almost nothing standing in Klopp’s way.

Signing the attacker might seem like a pretty harmless move but there could be some big consequences at Anfield. Football FanCast consider the potential ramifications below…

Bad news for Ben Woodburn and Harry Wilson

As Liverpool look to steal Manchester City’s crown, their revered front three remain undroppable and so chances for youth talent hoping to star in the front line are next to non-existent.

Dominic Solanke sealed a switch to Bournemouth last month while wingers Ben Woodburn and Harry Wilson completed loan moves to the Championship with Sheffield United and Derby County respectively in the summer.

The former has endured a torrid time with the Blades but the latter is excelling with the Rams, stealing headlines with some wonder strikes.

Signing Clarke could prove terminal for Woodburn in particular and make the duo’s challenge to break into the first team even harder than it already is, with another youngster vying for a spot in the attack. Good news, though, for Frank Lampard, who will surely be keen to bring Wilson back to Pride Park next season.

Sold on for big profit

Sporting director Michael Edwards has been behind many of the big name transfers Liverpool have completed since November 2016 and will have likely played a role in the signing of the aforementioned Solanke from Chelsea, whom the Reds sold on for a whopping £19m in January.

The striker made 27 appearances for the Reds, scoring one goal, yet was offloaded for a disproportionate fee a year-and-a-half later. It would take something special to oust any of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane from the starting lineup and Clarke could spend some years developing and impressing with the Under-23’s but never get a chance in the first team.

Perhaps it’s more likely that he would be sold on for enormous profit instead and that Solanke’s Liverpool journey is one many Reds youngsters could be set to follow from now on.

A change of approach for Liverpool

The focus at Anfield for the last few years has been to get into a position where Liverpool are able to challenge for and win titles – whether they can dethrone City this time around could go down to the very last day of the season.

Jurgen Klopp has gotten quite inventive with his excuses this season. FFC’s James Jones think he has no one but himself to blame for Liverpol’s poor form in the video below…

Now that they are there, though, securing that status for years to come should be high on the agenda and the signing of Clarke would indicate that as a look to the future rather than the present. At 18 years old, the Leeds starlet has plenty of room to grow and, if he manages to avoid being sold for a big profit, he could play a key role in Liverpool staying at the very top of the Premier League for the next decade.

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has tipped Premier League strugglers Southampton to lose 2-0 when they face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but that isn’t the only piece of bad news he has for the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Liverpool legend was once again providing his weekly score predictions in the English top flight, but he doesn’t believe that Saints will bounce back from the disappointing 2-1 defeat against lowly Cardiff City last time out, a result which saw them slip into the relegation zone.

Predicting a 2-0 scoreline for the Gunners, the 61-year-old also added that he believes the south coast outfit are going to find themselves in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.

According to BBC Football, Lawrenson said: “Southampton dropped into the relegation zone after losing to Cardiff last time out, and I think they might stay there for a while longer.

“Arsenal have got some issues they need to sort out – Mesut Ozil’s future being one of them – but their home record is very good and they should still be too strong for Saints.”

Is he right?

While his comments won’t be great reading for Southampton supporters or manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, he may well be correct in his thinking.

The south coast outfit face Unai Emery’s men, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in their next four Premier League fixtures, while they have fellow bottom-three outfit Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

The clash against the Cottagers may be more winnable on paper than the other three, but the south coast outfit showed by taking just one point at home to Crystal Palace and the Bluebirds that they don’t always have the quality to get wins against the teams around them in the table on their own patch.

Even if they beat Claudio Ranieri’s side and lose the other three, they will be in big trouble in the final eight games.

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According to London Evening Standard, Manchester United are prepared to pay £34million to land the services of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has inevitably made himself an impressive candidate for the Old Trafford job on a permanent basis, but it’s claimed United won’t simply retain the Norwegian based on cost – they’re prepared to shell out what would be a massive sum in managerial terms.

Indeed, we rarely hear of managers attracting that kind of amount in compensation, their equivalent of transfer fees, so Football FanCast’s writers answer a simple question – is United’s big-money managerial target really worth that much?

Billy Meyers

“Unquestionably. In this day and age, where players are going for over £100million and not even making a significant impact on the pitch (see Philippe Coutinho at Barcelona), paying such a tiny fee in comparison for a man who has no element of risk about him seems like a no-brainer. Pochettino would transform Manchester United, and the reported £34m fee will seem like peanuts in a few years – if Tottenham were to accept such an offer, they will live to regret it.”

Harry Sherlock

“Absolutely. Pochettino has turned Spurs into title contenders, he’s taken them into the Champions League and he’s proved that Spurs can best the likes of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. The performance in the Camp Nou against Barcelona – a brave 1-1 draw, inspired by some bold tactics – was very United-like. Spending £34million on a new manager is better than splashing out a similar amount on a player who may or may not adapt to Old Trafford. Pochettino surely would. And that’s not to mention the fact that he might want to take the likes of Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld with him…”

James Beavis

“He is without a shadow of a doubt. Pochettino would galvanise Manchester United as a whole, from the hierarchy down to the players and the fans. He would get the team picking up results while improving the players that he has, rather than the club needing to delve into the transfer market so often buying players like Alexis Sanchez. In short, the Argentine is the manager that can bring the Premier League title back to Old Trafford, and while £34million would be a huge outlay, there is no reason why he couldn’t be at United for the next 10 years.”

Will Jones

“Of course he is. He’s made Spurs a regular Champions League side – even title contenders. In his almost five campaigns in north London, he has utterly transformed the club. United were willing to spend almost £50million on Fred. By those standards, Pochettino should be worth as much to them as Neymar is to PSG. The Argentine coach is just what’s needed at Old Trafford, and United should not let a relatively measly price tag prevent them from taking this necessary forward step.”

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Liverpool host Watford on Wednesday and will be hoping to get back to winning ways having drawn their last two in all competitions, neither of which they were able to score in. Javi Gracia’s men, meanwhile, hit Cardiff for five on Friday and Jurgen Klopp must do one specific thing to stop Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu running riot again.

On the chalkboard

The Reds were uncharacteristically wasteful of their opportunities in front of goal in both games last week and will surely have been dedicating much of their time on the training ground since to finishing practice ahead of the Hornets’ visit.

Klopp’s attack was somewhat disjointed once Roberto Firmino was replaced in the first half due to injury and, if they are to nip their goal drought in the bud, Liverpool may require a reshuffle up front.

Luckily, the German can count on having a plethora of midfield options, with Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, to name but a few, to choose from – an area which will be vital next time out.

Clog the middle

Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds were unable to deal with the Deeney and Deulofeu link-up play and were made to rue earlier missed chances as they were thumped 5-1; it is unlikely that the league leaders would be on the receiving end of a similar scoreline but they can do one thing to maximise their chances of shutting out the Hertfordshire outfit.

According to WhoScored, a league-high 31% of Watford’s attacks come down the middle – other Premier League teams use the wings far more than the Vicarage Road outfit – meaning that Liverpool should clog up the middle of the park in an attempt to separate their opponents’ deadly strike duo.

Check out the video below for fan reaction to Man Utd 0-0 Liverpool…

Captain Deeney and former Barcelona man Deulofeu are rarely found too far away from each other and this was essential to their win at the weekend, where the latter bagged a hat-trick. Similarly, Klopp will find success keeping his midfield trio in close proximity of each other in order to suffocate the in-form duo. The Reds then have the attack to easily make the difference at the other end.

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Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish captained the club for the first time in their 4-0 win against Derby County at Villa Park on Saturday after being handed the armband by manager Dean Smith, and it is something that should have happened a lot sooner.

On the chalkboard

Despite being a Villa boy and making 132 appearances in all competitions for them, the 23-year-old had never been trusted with skippering the Midlands outfit – until his 133rd outing at the weekend that is.

The former England U21 international was making his comeback following three months on the sidelines with a shin injury, and he wasted no time showing what the club has been missing with a stunning first-time volley as the hosts raced into a 4-0 half-time lead against Frank Lampard’s visitors.

It wasn’t just his quality on the ball that was impressive however, as Grealish showed the leadership qualities that he has throughout his 71 minutes on the pitch, before he was replaced by Tom Carroll.

Should have happened sooner?

Without a doubt.

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

While Steve Bruce and now Smith have players like James Chester and Alan Hutton to choose from to captain the side, it seems crazy that Grealish had never been given the gig before – especially during the current campaign and with the departure of John Terry in the summer.

The 23-year-old is ready-made to captain Villa, and his display on Saturday proves it is an added pressure that won’t weigh down on his shoulders – instead, it appeared to give him an extra spring in his step.

The decision may have come earlier had he been fit and available in the previous three months, but the former Brentford boss still had nine Championship matches with the midfielder before the injury setback – now it looks as though the gamble could be the catalyst for a late push for the play-offs.

Liverpool fans will be feeling tense as the Premier League season starts to enter its final stages, especially with how Manchester City are currently performing. The Reds will know that they can ill-afford any defeats at this moment and will need to ensure they take maximum points from their remaining nine fixtures.

There is no denying that Jurgen Klopp has one of the best defences in the top-flight, however, there have been some doubts in recent games about their ability to find the back of the net and create enough opportunities for their forward line, which may have led to renewed speculation about a former transfer target.

What’s the News?

According to a report by Calciomercato, Liverpool are understood to remain interested in Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski and ‘insist’ on the player.

The Poland international midfielder is thought to remain on the Premier League outfit’s radar despite being believed to be edging closer to a new deal with the Serie A outfit.

The Anfield outfit’s interest in the 24-year-old is thought to have begun in 2016 following an impressive European Championship tournament with his country, however, they missed out on him with Napoli acquiring him.

The Verdict:

If one thing is for certain regarding the Poland international, it is that the links to the Premier League side do not appear to be going away any time soon and he is the type of player that could certainly bring something of value to Klopp’s side.

The 24-year-old is one of the hottest midfielders in European football, with his pace, vision and the ability to pick out a pass having impressed a number of onlookers, including former boss Maurizio Sarri, who once dubbed him as the next Kevin De Bruyne.

“He is an absolute talent, he also has great physical skills and if he grows in the level of personality, he can play in any area of the court, the new De Bruyne,” he told Tuttomercatoweb at the beginning of 2018.

With Zielinski understood to be closing in on a new deal at Napoli, it would seem incredibly unlikely for Liverpool to sign him, even if they do insist on him, making the claim a little hard to believe.

Liverpool fans, what do you make of the constant speculation surrounding a move for Zielinski and do you think a move will ever happen for him? Join in with the discussion below by letting us know what you think.

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Southampton’s much-improved performances of late finally paid dividends as they emerged 2-1 victors over Spurs in a brilliant comeback last Saturday, with Yan Valery scoring for the second consecutive game.

The Frenchman is the epitome of the belief which Ralph Hasenhuttl has instilled in his squad, and the faith he has placed in younger players is making a huge difference as the Saints look to steer clear of relegation.

The Austrian boss has taken a polarised approach to that of his predecessor, trusting the likes of Valery, Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse – all of whom have repaid him – in the starting XI, as opposed to more experienced members of the squad.

Despite having only made his first appearance for Saints in December, the 20-year-old is now an established player in the starting XI and the numbers behind his performances since Hasenhuttl took the helm show exactly why that is the case.

In 12 Premier League starts since the 1-0 loss to Cardiff – Hasenhuttl’s first game in charge in which Valery played at right-back rather than right-wing-back – the number 43 has completed 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions on average, indicating his defensive importance.

In comparison, Ryan Bertrand completes 2.1 and 1.1 per game respectively – the former Chelsea man is regarded as one of Southampton’s most reliable performers – and Spurs’ Kieran Trippier, who has proven himself as a quality wing-back, completes 2.3 and 0.9.

Clearly, Valery is playing beyond his years in terms of his defensive contribution, but what about his influence on the front foot? Well, his thunderbolt against the Red Devils was a cracking way to open his account in red and white and he doubled his tally for the season next time out as he bundled home at the back post against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

For the sake of consistency, 28-year-old Trippier has scored just once this campaign despite regularly taking free-kicks for Spurs, while 29-year-old Bertrand also has the single strike to his name.

It’s in his willingness to take his opponent on, though, where Valery truly shines – the academy graduate completes 1.3 dribbles per start while former Saints captain Bertrand and England hero Tripper average 0.1 and 0.8 per game, respectively.

This directness has been crucial and the defender’s willingness to get forward is the reason why he was able to net his second goal of the campaign last weekend.

It’s unlikely we would have seen him do this under previous Saints boss Mark Hughes. Valery, who was given far less license to get forward prior to Hasenhuttl’s arrival, completed 0 dribbles under the Welshman. He has shown now, that he is a threat on the front foot when given space.

Standing at 5’11”, the Champigny-sur-Marne-born starlet wins his fair share of aerial duels, too – 1.7 per start on average, to be exact – while Cedric Soares, whom Valery has replaced, completed just 1.3 per game before upping sticks to Inter Milan in January.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

There is plenty of tangible statistical evidence to justify Southampton’s decision to extend Valery’s contract on Thursday until 2023 – if any was even needed – and it’s already clear to see that Hasenhuttl has unearthed a real gem of a player.

The victory over Spurs was huge but the Saints remain just two points above the drop zone and it could go down to the wire.

Don’t bet against Valery being crucial in the bid for survival.