In an uneventful first half at the Emirates today, the entertainment was limited to a few incidents, Olivier Giroud’s goal ruled out for offside among other things.
And the main ‘other thing’ in that first 45 minutes was former Villarreal centre half Gabriel’s nasty looking two footed challenge on Hornets forward and captain Troy Deeney was not punished and the defender escaped being sent off. It was a nasty looking tackle into a 50/50 ball, but whereas Deeney kept his studs down in his attempt to win the ball, Gabriel went in with two feet and with his studs right into Deeney’s legs.
On a weekend where Chelsea’s Diego Costa was sent off for his aggressive behaviour as well as Gareth Barry receiving his marching orders for two yellow card offences in Everton’s 2-0 win over the Blues, the failure to give Gabriel a red card which could’ve ended in a very nasty injury to Troy Deeney provoked outrage on Twitter.
Let’s face it, although the enigmatic Sweden international and all-round legend of the modern game is no longer quite the formidable force he once was just a handful of short seasons ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains one of the most sought after names in world football.
The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona front-man looks increasingly certain to part ways with his current employers, Paris Saint-Germain, and as Manchester United represent just one of several English clubs reportedly looking to secure the striker’s services ahead of the new domestic campaign, perhaps the Premier League will indeed provide the highly coveted 34-year-old with one last high profile move.
So then, in light of Ibrahimovic’s apparent availability at the end of the current season: should Manchester United simply do everything within their power to complete this particularly bold transfer deal? Or would such an admittedly ambitious venture prove somewhat unproductive for the Red Devils?
Well, even though ‘Ibra’ is clearly reaching the latter stages of his footballing career, this is one player very few sides across the whole of world football would ever see fit to turn down.
When it comes to dominating his opponents aerially, being a leader both on and off the pitch and scoring a range of ridiculously gorgeous goals, Ibrahimovic is more than worthy of his current reputation.
Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils have certainly struggled from an attacking point of view this season, for although both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have, admittedly, impressed throughout certain portions of the current campaign, neither player is capable of helping Man United re-establish their dominance among the English top-flight as early as next season.
Yet whilst most right-minded football fans seemingly wouldn’t turn down the chance to watch such a marquee acquisition, would Ibrahimovic really represent a positive summer signing for Manchester United from a long-term perspective?
The answer could well be… no. Although the widely admired Swede would probably boost shirt sales with relative ease and efficiency straight off the bat, the Red Devils need to build their entire team around an up and coming centre-forward ready to prove himself, as opposed to a fading star of yesteryear who could only really offer little more than a brief impact.
The Theatre of Dreams hierarchy should only look to sign an out-and-out luxury such as Ibrahimovic, once an adequate long-term alternative is finally put in place at the club. Everton’s Romelu Lukaku has also been heavily linked with a possible move to Man United this summer, and given the Belgian’s undoubted potential, perhaps the Manchester heavyweights must really consider their options before making any regrettably knee-jerk decisions.
So then, whilst the heart would certainly love to witness Zlatan Ibrahimovic operating among the Premier League with Manchester United next season, matters of the head sometimes arrive with greater authority.
As a 16 year old football fan, seeing my team go from one of the worst in the Premier League under Avram Grant, and then only going on to get promoted back to the top tier via the play-offs (an amazing day at Wembley) to be challenging for European football has been an amazing journey.
After seeing a post on Twitter today saying that a Chinese club is willing to pay up to £13.5 million for Enner Valencia, all I could think of is how we would potentially only be paying £10m-£20m for a high quality striker like Michy Batshuayi or Alexandre Lacazette. This season Lacazette has scored 21 goals in 33 league appearances for Lyon, whereas Batshuayi has scored 17 goals in 32 appearances. Both are very good goalscoring records, also, Batshuayi is two year younger than Lacazette, which could command a higher transfer fee.
From what I’ve seen of Batshuayi, he seems to be a similar style of attacker to Diafra Sakho, so surely we want someone who offers something different, and Lacazette is that man. His raw pace and lethal finishing would make him an amazing signing for West Ham and a completely different striker to anyone with have. As a partner for Andy Carroll or coming off of the bench to frighten defenders with his pace and dribbling, he could offer so much to West Ham.
Lacazette is also likely to be a much cheaper signing than Batshuayi, this is because of the upcoming European Championships in Lacazette’s native France. Batshuayi has been selected for the Belgium squad, but Lacazette has only made the reserves for the France squad. This means that he is unlikely to go to the tournament and therefore his transfer value will be lower. According to TransferMarkt Lacazette is worth £22.5 million, which is reasonable figure for a proven goalscorer – albeit Lyon are understood to have rejected an offer worth around £31m – however we don’t know the finer details of this proposal.
Lacazette is a much more versatile forward than Batshuayi, he can change a game for West Ham as he can play on the left, right, or through the middle. West Ham need that kind of attacking versatility as we have two strikers in Carroll and Sakho who can only play through the middle. And then there’s Valencia, who struggles to play anywhere. He has only performed well in two games since he signed after the 2014 World Cup. He played well against Hull in 2014, and Bournemouth earlier in the year. Other than that he has been on par with Modibo Maiga as the worst striker to put on a West Ham shirt in the last three years.
Lacazette is an international team-mate of Dimitri Payet, so he could be tempted to the Olympic Stadium. It’s no secret that the West Ham fans love an exciting player, and Lacazette certainly excites the fans of Lyon, so hopefully, in a few months he will be wowing supporters in Stratford instead.
A prolific goalscorer is what we need, and, in my opinion, he is the man to take us forward and take us into the second season in the Olympic Stadium with Champions League football.
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Guus Hiddink has spent many of his press conferences expressing his admiration for Chelsea’s youth setup and explaining how he will show that the club should place some faith in their youngsters.Away to Sunderland with nothing to play for and the Dutch manager doesn’t start any of Loftus Cheek, Traore or Kenedy. All three have impressed when given the chance to this season and it has rightfully enraged Chelsea fans that they are benched once more.Chelsea’s season has been dire, but this was their chance to get some youngsters ready.Has Hiddink failed?
The Blues’ aren’t a happy bunch. With a name as splendid as Ruben Loftus-Cheek you surely deserve a decent chance!
Not quite like friendly Guus is building for the future. Maybe Antonio Conte has said he doesn’t rate any of these youngsters…
The kids can’t get a sniff at Chelsea. Their famous academy – and loan policy – may well come crumbling down if players realise that being a success at Chelsea means nothing for the rest of your career.
Manchester United’s time at the top of the European game collapsed at the end of the Ferguson years, whilst Liverpool’s collapsed some time back in 1922.
England’s two ‘biggest’ clubs are clearly desperate to reach the levels of the past and treat themselves to waffling on about the history of the game far too often. The stature of the clubs has not diminished, far from it, yet their on field performances over the past few seasons have been close to humiliating.
Success is a distant memory for these two supposed giants of the European game and a fair few changes are needed if they are to right the wrongs of the current ownership and management structures.
As Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp look to return their respective clubs to their former glories, we ask the really important question, what can Liverpool actually learn from Manchester United?
Don’t be scared…
Signing a big name player seems to have developed a taboo around it of late and it has put Liverpool off potential transfers from time to time (or so it seems).
Manchester United, as they strive to compete with Manchester City, have splashed cash in an vulgar fashion as they hunt for competitiveness with the signings of players who are known worldwide.
Liverpool, having just signed Sadio Mane, often take a far more hipster approach to the transfer market, but could yet benefit from the odd big name…
Money is there for a reason
If you’ve got the money, spend it.
Well, that seems to be the philosophy of Manchester United over the past couple of summers and it’s fair to say they’re continuing that ostentatious spending in this summer’s transfer window.
Particularly when it comes to wages, Manchester United have shown no fear in offering players fifteen figures sums for the next fortnight.
Liverpool, meanwhile, might just benefit from using a bit of extra cash to lure some extra stars in…
Turf ’em out
As Manchester United continue to ruthlessly remove the peripheral members of their squad, Liverpool are clinging on to some rather under-performing flops.
Mourinho is showing Klopp how to manage his squad in this respect, as he looks to keep hold of Fellaini, Jones and Valencia, as Liverpool foolishly let Martin Skrtel leave.
Knowing your weaknesses is key for any manager and Manchester United have done brilliantly to remove the deadwood over the past few years.
(Note: SARCASM)
Attack the issues
Rather than bolstering his squad with endless attacking midfielders, Jose Mourinho has shown a direct approach to resolving the issues within the current Manchester United squad.
Signing a playmaker, a centre-back and a striker was crucial for Mourinho and he did just that within days of taking over the reigns at Old Trafford.
Winner, Winner
Whether Mourinho wins trophies at United or not, there is a more recent history of ruthless winning at Old Trafford than Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp won’t be looking to Jose for much inspiration, but it might just help to look back at what has made Liverpool so successful in the past…
Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Jonathan Calleri will complete his long talked about move to West Ham “pretty soon†and that a swoopÂfor Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette is not being considered in the east end of London.The Hammers have been extremely active in the transfer market this summer, with their latest double swoop for Andre Ayew and Arthur Masuaku having taken the new arrival tally in Stratford to NINE.WANT MORE? >>ÂWest Ham transfer newsÂ|ÂLatest transfer newsHowever, Bilic confirmed last week that he wants more signings, with Calleri having been aligned with the London Stadium side.A loan move for the Argentine forward – who is registered to Deportivo Maldonado in Uruguay, yet owned by third party investors – has been widely reported as being close, and now the Croatian tactician has confirmed that he is on the verge of joining the club, but that a move for Lacazette is not being considered.Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Chelsea on Monday, Bilic said: “We were lacking options there [up front] and we really wanted to do it. I spoke to the chairman and maybe we need one more player.”100 per cent we will not go for Lacazette. We will sign Calleri and he will be with us pretty soon depending on the work permit.”He [Calleri] is a top striker and we have a good balance in the squad. We have a big couple of weeks in front of us with five big games.Lacazette has been aligned with a move to West Ham in recent days, but reports claim that Lyon have slapped a £60m price-tag on their key man in a bid to fight off interest.
A new era we were promised and a fresh wave of optimism came with the appointment of Sam Allardyce as England manager. Finally a man at the helm who had an identity, OK it may not have been the identity that we were craving, but after Roy Hodgson’s clueless performance at Euro 2016 at least it seemed we had someone in charge who had some ideas to implement.
But then England played Slovakia last Sunday and it was a case of the more things change then the more the stay the same. Although you could argue how much did Allardyce really change for his first game in charge as England boss. The result against Slovakia was at least a positive one but we still had the same major problem and that problem is none other than Wayne Rooney.
After England’s somewhat fortuitous win in Slovakia, Allardyce went on record to say that it’s “not for [him] to say” where Wayne Rooney plays. Which isn’t the most inspiring of comments, and had Rooney been man of the match and covered just about every blade of grass then you could say fair enough, but with the Manchester United man turning in another performance short of what a captain should be delivering you have to argue whether or not Rooney is hampering the England team.
With Rooney deployed in midfield again, England were reduced to pedestrian pace as he failed to make any real impact in the game. Slovakia may have been reduced to 10 men thanks to Martin Skrtel’s moment of madness in the second half, but at times it felt as England were also playing with a man less.
Conspiracy theorists will ask themselves who is picking the England side, but maybe the question should be just how much influence do Nike have on team selection. With Wayne Rooney being the poster boy for Nike in this country, and the American sportswear giants making the latest Three Lions shirt then you can see there being grounds for some sort of pressure from Nike for Rooney to play.
If that is the case then The F.A. have appointed another yes man in Allardyce, which would have disappointed a lot of people, as many felt that the former Sunderland manager would be the one to break the mould and not be afraid to make controversial decisions should they be required.
The Rooney-Nike-FA axis of doom is obviously conjecture but it does carry some weight. You would like to think that an England side is being picked by the managers own volition and not because of orders from the powers that be.
Also the fact that Rooney has put a date on his retirement so early doesn’t really do England any favours as now we are almost in the midst of a two year ‘Wayne Rooney Retirement Tour’. In essence it’s quite a clever move by Rooney because it asks the question of whether or not Allardyce would consider dropping someone who is playing their last run of games for the national side.
When you add the fact that Rooney could very well become England’s most capped player should he feature in all qualifiers and the World Cup, should England make it, then it becomes even more sensitive a subject as to whether or not the former Everton forward should feature.
When Rooney retires, you get the feeling that history will be kind to him, he has won every major honour with Manchester United and is England’s record goalscorer with the high possibility of beating Peter Shilton’s 125 England Caps as well. But the fact he has never delivered in a major tournament for England will definitely be a tick in the negative column.
He is almost in danger of tarnishing his own legacy after the level of displays that he has been turning out as of late when wearing an England shirt. But on the other hand he is almost playing safe in the knowledge that he will not be dropped.
The fact that he is dropping down to midfield is already proof that Rooney is having to be accomodated into the side. Admittedly Harry Kane hasn’t pulled up many trees as of late, but it again shows that we are having to use a square peg in a round hole.
There is no doubting that Rooney has been a great servant for England and it’s admirable that he still wants to play, but it would be more admirable if he stepped aside from frontline duty. The thing is though, with his retirement date set in stone it looks like his England career is going to end with a whimper rather than a bang.
If you haven’t quite given up on watching England just yet then you best get ready for another two years of Rooney holding the side hostage. If the performance against Slovakia was anything to go by we could be in for a very long and tortuous period. Roll on getting knocked out of World Cup 2018, when a new era can really begin.
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Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho going head-to-head in a league game is something nobody has ever seen before. So no one knows what to expect in that regard. There are, of course, other games to go by.
So far this season, both teams have averaged over 54% possession per game, dominance has been the norm. That is so often the way with stronger clubs, but when they face one another it is usually a case of which team can cope best with less possession and take their chances most clinically while restricting the opposition’s presence in the final third.
Although Mourinho is usually be happy to take a point in big away games like this one, the three points already separating his side from Liverpool – and the five from Manchester City – may force his hand to play a more offensive game. Previously Mourinho would have played two defensive midfielders, but he is yet to show faith in any of his recognised holding players this season, with Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini favoured in the deepest midfield role. Though Liverpool’s energy in the midfield might mean a more energetic United midfield, too.
Then again, the absences of Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana might change things. Jurgen Klopp will need to change his midfield and we should see Emre Can play in one of the box-to-box roles. Liverpool will not change how their style of play though, regardless of how Manchester United set up or the injuries they face. Klopp’s side will focus on pressing high up the pitch and force United to play direct balls up the field, and this could play into the hands of arguably the most talented player of either squad, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Should Daley Blind start in the centre of United’s defence, he will be targeted by Liverpool’s front three immediately – because it will be his ability to pick a pass that could cut to the very heart of Klopp’s defence.
Liverpool currently lead the league in dribbles completed, shots on target, and shots conceded per game. And aside from their slip up against Burnley, they have arguably been the best performing side in the league in the early contests of this season – Manchester United, meanwhile, have looked flimsy defensively. Mourinho continues to grapple with his squad to find his strongest side, but his continued lack of balance in midfield has left the team looking beatable for much of this campaign.
Trying to find an approach that brings the best out of Paul Pogba and Ibrahimovic without vastly compromising the protection of the back four is proving much trickier than expected. At least one of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford must start for United and they have to be unafraid to play the ball in behind the Liverpool defence to stretch the game and expose Klopp’s organisational weakness – if Liverpool drop deep to nullify pace in behind their defence, they’ll leave dangerous space for the likes of Pogba and Juan Mata to exploit.
But unless Mourinho adds a defensive midfielder to the starting lineup, Liverpool will still be able to dominate the middle third of the field. Their 4-3-3 looks formidable up against United’s 4-2-3-1, and that could allow Jordan Henderson to patrol in front of the defence and occupy that space between the lines. Pogba would benefit greatly from being in a free role against Liverpool’s energetic, swarming midfield and his talent could be shackled if forced into the deeper midfield role that he has occupied so far this season.
If your team has struggled to break down sides that will sit deep with a well organised defence, you probably don’t want to be facing Tony Pulis’s West Brom – a side who frustrated Tottenham with that very tactic last weekend, in fact.
Liverpool faced a Manchester United team last Monday who had a similar aim – to simply soak up Liverpool’s attacking flow. Just as West Brom did to Tottenham and Pulis’s sides have done to countless opponents in the past, they packed the central midfield spaces and defended in numbers to prevent space between the lines and behind the defence.
This was Liverpool’s downfall in their only Premier League defeat to date, too. Burnley set up in a rigid block, scored first, and then set about finding every possible way to shackle Liverpool’s fast-moving attacking football by sitting deep and launching counter-attacks when possible. West Brom will play a similar way from the off at Anfield on Saturday evening. They will sit deep within their own third when Liverpool have the ball and hope that Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli can hold the ball up to provide an outlet on the rare occasions when the Baggies do have the ball.
The similarities between Burnley and West Brom are clear. They are two sides with the lowest average possession this season, the lowest pass completion, and two of the teams least likely to dribble the ball. If anything, the Baggies have greater experience and talent to allow them to carry out their effective game plan.
Jurgen Klopp must learn from Liverpool’s failings against Burnley. As organised and resolute as the Clarets were, it is far and away Liverpool’s worst performance of the season to date. Whether it involves a change in personnel or simply a different approach, there is a requirement for Klopp to find means for Liverpool to expose teams that will refuse to leave any space in central zones in their defensive third. The sale of Christian Benteke, despite being the best result for all parties, leaves Liverpool without the more physically threatening centre forward that would have enabled a more direct game in such circumstances.
West Brom’s central defenders might not be too spooked by direct balls to a target man, but it would have given Liverpool another option, at least. The alternative for Klopp may be to use the players he intends to start in a marginally different way. Rather than targeting the middle of the pitch, using one of their array of forwards to stick to the touchline would expand the field and give that vital bit of extra freedom to create a chance.
Should Liverpool fail to get a victory against West Brom, Klopp will not be the first, nor last, manager to succumb to Tony Pulis’ military-worthy defensive organisation. The greater challenge it will raise for Klopp’s side is it will prove that the Burnley result was no freak, it will show a framework of how to beat this often irresistible Liverpool team and force Klopp to change his approach.
According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be set to leave Liverpool during the January transfer window, with West Ham and Stoke City linked with £28m moves for the England international.
The 27-year-old has grown frustrated at his lack of playing time under Jurgen Klopp this season, with Roberto Firmino preferred in the striker’s position as Sturridge has been often labelled as not being the right fit for this Reds team.
He has failed to score in eight Premier League appearances this term, however, he did net England’s opening goal in their 3-0 win against Scotland at Wembley on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Southampton have made a solid start to their top-flight campaign and currently sit in the top half of the table on goal difference.
The Saints would consider themselves to be a similarly sized club to both the Hammers and the Potters, so should they be targeting Sturridge too?
Here are FOUR reasons why it would be a great move for the south coast outfit…
He would solve their goal issues
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Despite making a solid, if unspectacular, start to the campaign, Southampton have struggled for goals, netting just twelve in their opening eleven Premier League matches of the season – their lowest tally at this stage of the campaign in their five terms back in the top tier.
While Charlie Austin has shown that he can put the ball in the back of the net, Sturridge is a proven top flight goalscorer and has netted 43 times in 77 appearances for Liverpool.
Despite their low goal tally, the Saints have been making opportunities – for example, Dusan Tadic has created 31 chances without picking up an assist – and having someone like Sturridge up top to convert those could change their season.
He’d thrive being the main man
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In recent times, Sturridge has found himself as a back-up player in the Liverpool squad, but he is certainly an individual that seems to thrive as the main man.
A top England international, that is something that he would be if Southampton did make a move for the 27-year-old. While £28m would be a fee that would smash the south coast outfit’s transfer record, it is relatively low in the modern day for a proven Premier League goalscorer.
He’s in his prime
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It is often said that footballers reach their prime around the age of 27, and that is exactly the age Sturridge is.
While he hasn’t been able to show his best form this term because of injury and a lack of playing time, the England marksman has still shown that he can put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis.
If a new club did offer the striker regular first-team football, it could be a decision that benefits them greatly in the future.
He would relish the service provided
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While Southampton have created chance after chance this season, they have generally struggled to convert them, which has cost them many a point in the Premier League.
Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond, along with record signing Sofiane Boufal, have the potential to unlock any defence and despite suggestions of his selfishness, you would think that Sturridge would relish the opportunity to work with the trio, given his finishing ability.