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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the club will have to seriously look at bringing in a few fresh faces during the January transfer window, none more so than up front, a position that’s currently woefully short of depth.

After Andy Carroll left the club on loan to join West Ham and the Merseyside outfit failed to bring in a replacement, given that Luis Suarez is having to carry the Liverpool attack at the moment and that Fabio Borini looks set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines, a new striker is of paramount importance to the side, with Samed Yesil and Adam Morgan still too young an inexperienced to be relied upon yet.

Daniel Sturridge – The obvious first port of call should the club move for a striker in January given that Rodgers is known to be a fan of his and that he turned them down in the dying moments of the summer transfer window. His reluctance to move out on loan may be tested once more now, though, and given that he’s fallen way down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge under Roberto Di Matteo and that he would prefer to revert back to his favoured central striking position, a short-term move could be on the cards leading to a permanent transfer next summer should he impress.

Dries Mertens – Another Belgian international that’s been heavily linked with a move to England in recent times, the 25-year-old has excelled during his stay at PSV so far, to the tune of 25 goals last season and they could be tempted by an offer in the region of £10m. Comfortable playing out wide or through the middle, the pacy forward could also allow Suarez to switch to a role wide on the left that he’s done well with in the past and he bares comparison with Everton’s new man Kevin Mirallas in terms of style.

Loïc Remy – The versatile Marseille forward has struggled to force his way into manager Elie Baup’s first-team plans at the Stade Velodrome so far this season, with the French manager often preferring to place his faith in Jordan and Andre Ayew, with Andre-Pierre Gignac enjoying something of a resurgence in recent weeks. The 25-year-old international appears to have suffered from Didier Deschamps exit to take the national team post and he could be looking for the exit door sooner rather than later, even if Tottenham may challenge for his signature should he become available after holding a long-standing interest in the player.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – While Rodgers may have refuted that he was interested in signing the Dutch international just a few short months ago, and the prolific front-man may be a little out of the club’s price range, he represents a bankable return and consistent stream of goals and a viable focal point to the team’s fluid attack. Suarez is at his best when he has a fixed reference point from which to play off and around and with 53 goals in his last 55 games for Schalke, he may be worth pushing the boat out for, even if at 29 years of age, he maynot be quite the long-term solution that the manager is hoping for.

Gary Hooper – The Celtic striker has started the season in scintillating form so far this campaign and his performance away at Spartak Moscow which handed Neil Lennon’s side their first away win ever in the Champions League, during which he bagged a double, showed he’s capable of making the step up. While many may contest that being clinical in front of goal in the SPL and the Championship counts for little, the 24-year-old is certainly a realistic target, affordable and he knows where the back of the net is and you suspect he’d absolutely jump at the chance to make the move to Anfield.

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Which striker would you like to see the club move for in January? Any other options that I’ve failed to mention?

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

Aleksandar Kolarov left Manchester City last year, but he remains loved by the supporters.

The left-back, who can also play in central defence, spent seven years at the North-West outfit before dropping down the pecking order under manager Pep Guardiola.

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Kolarov, who has won seven trophies including two Premier League titles in his professional career, moved to Roma last year.

The 32-year-old remains a prominent figure in the Serbia dressing room, and he is currently with his nation in Russia for the World Cup.

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On Sunday, the left-back put in a man-of-the-match display to help Serbia earn a 1-0 victory over Group E opponents Costa Rica.

Kolarov scored the only goal of the fixture as he struck from a free kick, which he bent around the wall and into the top corner.

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Unsurprisingly, City fans stood up and took notice of their former player, and some even called for the reigning English champions to bring him back.

Others just reminisced about Kolarov’s time at the club.

Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.Comment from discussion Kolarov scores a great free kick!!!.

According to an interview with Turkish Football, Everton striker Cenk Tosun has spoken out about being dropped to the substitutes’ bench and when he expects to return to the starting XI, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on his comments.

The 26-year-old joined the Merseyside outfit in a £27m deal at the start of January but despite lining up against Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion, he has found himself on the bench in their last three Premier League matches, and he was an unused substitute in the 3-1 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The centre-forward isn’t too concerned though and via Turkish Football, he said: “I did not play in the last game but it does not bother me.

“I am just focused on my game and training hard.

“I am going to be a lot fitter in a fortnight’s time and then return to the starting 11.”

Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on his comments, and while one said “he’s going to do us proud with this approach”, another said “great attitude to have”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton boss Roberto Martinez is set on six new summer signings, after given a transfer kitty of more than £20m, to transform Everton into a European contender, Daily Mail reports.

The Toffees are currently only six points behind fourth place Arsenal, and with the Gunners facing Manchester City this weekend, Everton could cut it down to three with a win at bottom side club Fulham.

However even if the Merseysiders are to fall short, they are still likely to secure a Europa League spot and Martinez intends to sign six new players to cope with the demands of Europe.

The Spanish manager is looking to sign Romelu Lukaku on a permanent basis from Chelsea as well as making Gareth Barry also a permanent signing from Manchester City.

He is also looking to bring Jack Rodwell back to Goodison Park, who left for the Citizens in the summer of 2012 but has rarely featured for the Sky Blues.

“Whether we are in Europe or not is a big factor,” said Martinez.

“We’ve got money but I didn’t think spending in January was the right thing to do. If we get in Europe I think that makes a difference of six players

“You need around 27 players plus keepers for Europe. It doesn’t have to be 27 senior players, it can be young players too, but 27.

“We have identified what we need for next season in terms of the areas, and then you start working on your wish-list.

“If you get into the Champions League you can look for your number one choice. If not, you’re going to number four, five, six and maybe seven or eight.

“But we have got the money and it is there to be spent.”

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The landmark court ruling involving little-known footballer Jean Marc Bosman back in 1995 at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg is still being felt to this very day, but what exactly did it do for the game and what was it’s wider impact on the way that football is run?

The ruling itself stated that Bosman had been unlawfully barred from changing teams when his contract with R.F.C. Liège in the Belgian first division expired after the 1990 season. By coming to that decision, it essentially created freedom of movement laws for all professional footballers within the European Union, while also simultaneously knocking any sort of quota system that UEFA or the independent leagues tried to impose on its membership, such as the three foreign players per squad rule that was used back in Spain and Italy in the 1980s. It became clear, the power no longer resided with organisations or the clubs themselves, but the players.

It increased competitive balance and ensured that the game became something more than just what was traditionally concerned with a starting eleven and now the power of a squad with depth was vitally important.

The main criticism often levelled at the Bosman ruling it’s that while on the whole player power has risen, which has had an adverse effect on player and club relations in the past, that the power resides in the few and not the many that can afford to pay top wages to out of contract players.

That this then distorts the competition because it means that the few at the top get the best players on the cheap and has resulted in just 12 clubs winning Europe’s premier competition since its inception back in 1992 from just seven different countries. However, when you consider that Real Madrid won the old European Cup format five years on the trot between 1955-60 and that Ajax, Benfica, Bayern Munich, Inter, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Milan all managed to retain their trophy after they first won it, then it becomes clear that pwoer has always been centralised among the few rather than the many.

The Bosman ruling has seen several leagues such as the ones in England, Spain, Italy and most recently the resurgent Bundesliga in Germany become Super Leagues in a way and without a generational glitch in terms of an influx in talents, the smaller European leagues now no longer prosper in quite the same way when mixing it with the big boys. There’s unlikely to ever be another Red Star Belgrade nor a Steaua Burcharest.

Prior to the rule, a player could only ever move clubs if the one that had ownership over his signature agreed a fee with the prospective interested party. As such, dictatorships, presidents and club officials prevented Eusebio from ever leaving Portugal and Pele in his peak from leaving Brazil.

It’s also had an impact further down the leagues where money is tigheter. With player power rife, clubs higher up the ladder will always sign their key players to lucrative long-term deals to keep them right where they are, but all across Europe, this revolving door policy can often be more of a hindrance than it is a help and it’s hardly condusive to a settled side which often breeds success. It’s now near enough impossible to rise through the leagues and then go on to have a huge impact in the top division like it was in the past, and money plays a much bigger part these days than it ever did prior to 1995.

There’s also the consideration that while players like Sol Campbell, Edgard Davids, Gary McAllister and David Beckham have proved to be bargain signings simply because no transfer fee has ever had to be paid, it also offers clubs more freedom in their transfer dealings, no longer shackled by the pressure of a players fee and the debate over whether they may flop.

The obvious downsides of the ruling is that it’s created the millionaire culture which football has gone on to indulge today, making the selected few clubs richer while also protecting the egos of the industry. This mollycoddling has meant that football has increasingly moved away as the pasttime of the masses, and become more of an entertainment outlet worldwide than a purely sporting vehichle.

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At the same time, though, in no other industry of profession is loyalty demanded so quickly as it is in football. They have just as much right to move freely between jobs and pick where their futures lie just as much as a plumber or secretary does. The fall-out may be hard to bear for some, even overhwlemingly negative for others, but in the modern day, it’s a necessity.

Has the Bosman ruling been good or bad for the game on the whole? Name your favourite Bosman dealing below.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

According to club insider EXWHUEmployee, West Ham United are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion duo Salomon Rondon and Craig Dawson in this summer’s transfer window.

Rondon has been linked with a number of clubs since West Brom’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed, and West Ham are believed to be very much in the hunt.

Dawson is also believed to be attracting a lot of interest, and it would not be a surprise to see the centre-back pitch up in the Premier League once again.

Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in Rondon, who scored 10 times for West Brom last term despite their troubles.

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Dawson, meanwhile, has more than proved himself at Premier League level over the last few years.

The West Ham fans have been reacting to the claims that their club could move for the former Premier League duo in this summer’s transfer window.

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And it would be fair to say that a number have differing opinions. One thing is for sure though, if West Ham do not snap the pair up then another Premier League club will.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham supporters can be seen below:

Manchester United midfield duo Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba struggled in their side’s 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday night, and Red Devils fans have urged the club to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, rated at £49.5m according to Transfermarkt, in the summer as a result.

The duo started as the deep-lying midfield players in Jose Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system, but they were overrun and lethargic against the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min, with the former giving Spurs the lead after just 11 seconds.

Matic was also left on his own far too often as Pogba looked to break forward, and the Old Trafford faithful know who they want to see arrive at the club at the end of the campaign to solve the issue – Milinkovic-Savic who has been an impressive performer for the Serie A outfit with nine goals in 29 games this season.

Man United supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the situation, and while one said “this game was a clear reflection of why United need to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the summer”, another simply said “Matic out, Mili-Savic in”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Tottenham are considering a move for Roma’s American midfielder Michael Bradley, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Italian giants have recently completed the signing of Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan, which could see Bradley made surplus to requirements.

The 26-year-old is currently behind the likes of Kevin Strootman, Miralem Pjanic and Daniele De Rossi in the pecking order at the Stadio Olimpico, and could look for a January move following the arrival of Nainggolan.

This could alert Tottenham and their Technical Director Franco Baldini, who took Bradley to Rome in 2012.

Bradley has previously played in the Premier League, where he had an unsuccessful loan spell with Aston Villa.

London rivals Fulham have also been linked with a move.

Tottenham could be in the market for a new midfielder, following the news Etienne Capoue could be on his way out of White Hart Lane, less than six months after signing.

The French midfielder has failed to impress during the first half of the season, and has often been played out of position at centre back.

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Napoli are reportedly ready to test Tim Sherwood’s desire to keep the midfielder, after manager Rafael Benitez missed out on moves for Lyon’s Maxime Gonalons and the previously mentioned Nainggolan.

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Is there such thing as footballing karma? As most supporters will tell you, the answer to that is probably a resounding no. As much as Martin Tyler would like to tell you otherwise, dodgy refereeing decisions never seem to level themselves out. Seeing a potential relegation-staving goal ruled wrongly offside or a fans’ favourite dubiously sent off on derby day will simply be eased be the odd penalty here and there.

But is the fate that some of these gentlemen are currently undertaking, offer hope to fans far and wide? After plying their trade conning refs and enraging fans up and down the nation, are we finally seeing a few players reaping what they sow?

Some of these players are notorious thespians others may seem misunderstood. But have a flick through, cast your own judgement and then air your grievances when your finished.

Click on Andy Johnson to unveil the top 10

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Fuming at the sight of your favourite player in our top 10? Or is there someone on the wrong end of footballing justice that you think has been missed out? Let me know on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and get involved. 

Pakistan captain says batters “have sacrificed individual milestones for team results”, while seamers could have chance to shine when subcontinent teams visit

Danyal Rasool19-Jan-2025Pakistan captain Shan Masood put up a strident defence of Pakistan’s decision to produce a pitch that was heavily spin-friendly. After Pakistan wrapped up a 127-run win in the shortest-ever Test to produce a result on Pakistani soil, much of Masood’s press conference was dominated by talking about why the soil in question was quite as dry and brittle as it was.”We will do what we need to take 20 wickets and win the match,” Masood said. “We don’t even play domestic cricket in these conditions. It’s a new thing for us as well. We changed it during the England series because we wanted our team to win. We should appreciate the hard work of our bowlers, who got us 20 wickets consistently.”On those counts, the decision has been an unmitigated success. Ever since losing the first Test to England in October on a flat deck, Pakistan volte-faced on the kind of surfaces they wanted to prepare. Particular attention has been focused on the measures they have taken to ensure spin remains the most potent – arguably only – threat.Related

• Spin runs riot again as Noman, Warrican lead the way on 20-wicket opening day

• Aaqib Javed says Pakistan's spinning pitches are here to stay

• Sajid, Noman, Abrar share all 20 wickets as Pakistan go 1-0 up

• Stats – The shortest Test match to produce a result in Pakistan

• Have Pakistan opted out of the pace race?

The second Test against England was played on the same used surface of the first Test, with large fans to dry it out. The third Test in Rawalpindi, which naturally does not take spin until late in games, was dried out by wedding-style heaters and fans enclosed by windbreakers; England even accused it of being raked, though concrete evidence of that has not emerged. Ahead of this Test in Multan in the middle of winter, Pakistan went one step further, encircling the surface in a greenhouse as it was warmed up by those giant heaters and fans.Every surface has produced the effect – and result, Pakistan were after. Their spinners – Sajid Khan and Noman Ali in particular – have had little trouble taking 20 wickets; none of the 60 opposition scalps have fallen to seam bowlers since. And each of those three games have produced convincing Pakistan wins.Masood pointed out the wins were not an inevitability, but a consequence of Pakistan playing the better cricket across all departments in each game. “If you’re looking individually at the batters, it doesn’t make for good reading. But our batters batted better than West Indies, and better than England’s batters in October. If you just look at hundreds and fifties and judge them by raw numbers, then it’ll be misleading. Just like we’ll have to be flexible with our playing style, viewers will also need to be flexible in their thinking. Look at India’s blueprint and their averages at home and you’ll get the point. If conditions are flat, getting 20 wickets is hard. We’ve sacrificed individual milestones for team results.”Masood’s comments indicate that Pakistan have no plans yet to change what has been a successful strategy for them. While this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has proven an unhappy one – they will finish second from bottom in the standings – they have, on paper, a much softer draw in the next two-year cycle. It sees them play three two-Test series at home against South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and three series away from home against West Indies, England and Bangladesh. Masood made it clear they had eyes on a final berth in 2027, and that, should it happen, the route lay through “winning all our games at home”.He also dismissed any concerns over dissatisfaction of his fellow batters regarding these playing conditions, and allayed fears over the redundancy of Pakistan’s Test fast bowling. “We can’t pit our bowlers and batters against each other,” he said. “The hardest thing to do here was batting and fast bowling. West Indies didn’t score 141 in either of their innings, and yet we had one partnership [Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan] do it. The mistake is we should maybe have tried to string a few partnerships around that big one. Performances aren’t just about scoring centuries; in some conditions, 10-20 extra runs can make all the difference.”If someone has to sacrifice there, like fast bowlers or batters, then so be it. There will be oppositions where we feel we can prepare seam-friendly pitches. Then fast bowlers will get the opportunity to get wickets like the spinners got here. We need to work on how we can progress as a team. A WTC is a two-year cycle, so fast bowlers will come into it. We have away series in England and the West Indies with the Dukes ball. When a subcontinent team comes here, we may prepare seam-friendly wickets. Over the bigger picture, no one’s role is being diminished.”Pakistan do not play another Test for nine months, and have just two scheduled over the next 14 months. For Masood, this was the biggest concern, and a situation he deemed unacceptable.”I’ve complained about this issue and raised it several times; a nation like Pakistan cannot just play 4-5 Tests a year. This is something we as a nation need to push for. A ten-month gap, and then if you come and play in these conditions, it can be completely different. Our first-class season will also likely only just have begun at that time. These ten months are important, and I hope we get international and domestic cricket, and the Test players we have, hopefully we can look after them in the next ten months so they’re ready for the series against South Africa in October.”Ten months is a long time in cricket and, as Masood knows only too well, especially in Pakistan cricket. But in a nation where captains can live or die by the results their team produces, it is little surprise Masood makes no apology for a strategy which, for now, has been giving his team those wins, regardless of the optics that accompany them.