Category Uncategorized

A former England international, Liverpool’s goalkeeper for seven years, owner of the highest record of Premier League appearances until May 2011, holds the record for the most clean sheets with 173, a philanthropist, a League Cup as well as an FA Cup winner and now a player as well as an assistant manager in Iceland. You’d be forgiven for thinking that would keep anyone busy, but not David James, as now he’s coming back to our screens as BT Sport’s newest co-analyst.

He has played for a whole collection of teams including Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City and Bournemouth. He has also had 53 appearances for the Three Lions from 1997 to the last World Cup in South Africa.

I met the former Manchester City player at BT Sport’s offices in Stratford where he greeted me with a smile and a very firm handshake, the strength you’d expect from an experienced goalkeeper. The room was pretty noisy as some of his colleagues, including Michael Owen, were in the middle of a rather loud conversation, but James would have none of it and asked them in a strict tone to keep it down, to which everyone obliged. The former member of the Liverpool ‘Spice Boys’ looked more serious now, with a healthy sense of humour nevertheless, but no more bleach blonde, no more dreadlocks and no more Superman comb-over, his frizzy hair and knowledge does just fine.

I ask him what his new role is and initially, it seemed like I’d caught him a bit off guard as he wasn’t sure about his title description until my interview fixer jumped in and told me that he is a co-analyst. He is not very fond of the term football pundit as he thinks it is a cliché but he is looking to bring the best information to the public based solely on facts and not his personal opinion. The Daily Mail called him the ‘stat-man’, which surprised him, however he does see the importance of the numbers games when it comes to football.

“For many years covering football matches has been pretty much the same, with ex-players and the presenter sat around the table giving their thoughts or opinions on stuff. I’m more, I like to think, sort of technically analytical than just subjectively opinionated, in a sense that things happen for a reason.”

BT Sport have also come up with a very interesting method of showing the key moments of the match to the audience with the use of a LED interactive pitch. That is where the veterans, such as James and Steve McManaman, enter the Tron-like field and show the best moments of the game themselves without the use of footage.

“There are other shows which have all the gadgetry and I think it’s not real. We can actually get in there; we can talk and physically show people. You can actually do the movements, move people and go through those processes.

“For me, as a coach, I’m thinking about the younger players who are trying to learn the game. If you just show pictures and don’t actually demonstrate it then it’s just words and they’re going to try and make up the missing bits.

“Unfortunately I’ve got too many goals in that net so far and I may have to have a word with the production staff.”

The 43-year-old is still active with Icelandic team IBV and his love for the game is evidently still strong. But how can anyone juggle the demands of a football team with that of BT Sport? James is under a rather tight schedule as he literally leaves the studio on Saturday after the show and flies to Iceland to make the Sunday fixture with his squad. The club seems fine with it, but the former West Ham keeper admitted that the combination may be tricky.

Being an analyst however is not his ultimate goal as he tells me that he would really like to become a manager. “When I first went out to Iceland to play for IBV my intention wasn’t just to play, it was a long way to go just to play football.

“I am currently doing my UEFA license and it was an opportunity as an assistant manager to get involved in the coaching side of things and by doing that to help the goalkeepers they had.”

The aspiring coach has got his UEFA A license and says that even though he played professional football for 25 years he still learnt more as he explored another side to the game.

There is a difference in analysing football and actually getting on the field to play the game so I ask him about how he would compare the two tasks. His high experience in professional football has given him a lot of confidence between the sticks, but he admits that BT Sport is something new for him.

“I’ve done commentary or pundit work, if you like. It’s been much more orchestrated. The BT Sport sort of ethos is more relaxed and free in a sense that the studio is spacious and the conversations are a lot more interesting so it feels a lot more natural, which is good.”

England are playing Scotland at Wembley tonight and the former international explained he was ready for the match, as he has already done his homework, but he did have interesting things to say about the team and the young goalkeepers.

He calls the difference between the Premier League and the England national team a paradox and believes that because England has the best football and the most money they attract players from around the world. He adds that the coaching staff are concentrating more on the first team and less on the youth players who could be moulded as excellent footballers for the future one day.

I ask him who his favourite goalkeeper is after Joe Hart and he says “Joe Hart”, then I repeat the question and he insists on the Manchester City keeper. The 43-year-old believes that young keepers are experiencing the same problem as all other youth players that are ignored by clubs. He argues that the only way that another English keeper could overtake Hart’s place is through a consistent starting place and performance at Premier League level, which is very important for him as that could also push and benefit the 26-year-old goalkeeper.

“English clubs have had goalkeeping coaches for 15-20 years and the problem, I’d argue, is that the goalkeeping coach just works with the first team goalkeeper rather than looking at the development of young keepers through that club.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“If every club had a goalkeeper from 15 years ago up until five or six years ago then English football would be awash with English goalkeepers. So somewhere, the system is failing.”

I ask him who does he think will win the league this year and after a few seconds of concentration he says that Chelsea are the favourite. He reckons we will see a different team this year as the returning Jose Mourinho is very good at maintaining control of the dressing room, something his successors struggled to build, and in addition to the quality of the team the Portuguese manager has at his disposal.

The frizzy-haired analyst told me that West Brom could offer a few surprises this season, even without last season’s star Romelu Lukaku, but won’t be able to hit the European spots. However, he can see Liverpool nabbing fourth place thus bringing some extra competition to the North London rivalry from last season. As for champions Manchester United, the former Liverpool keeper thinks they might end up in third place behind aforementioned Chelsea and fierce local rivals Manchester City.

My twenty minute mark was up but I still tried to squeeze in some extra questions for the goalkeeper/analyst – asking him if he’s excited about the upcoming Premier League. His face immediately contorts into a giant smile and says: “Absolutely!” He is set to go to Anfield on Saturday and meet Simon Mignolet and Stoke’s Asmir Begovic; jokingly adding that he’ll ask them about English goalkeepers.

The IBV goalkeeper and I shook hands again, that grip was still strong, and I knew that I would definitely be hearing about him more in the future as his career develops. Could I be writing about his achievements as a manager in a few years? Only time can tell…

David James is co-analyst on BT Sport’s coverage of 38 exclusively live Barclays Premier League Football matches. BT Sport is free with BT broadband, to find out more visit www.btsport.com

Liverpool took a huge gamble in the summer by forking out the best part of £10.5m on Italian forward Fabio Borini, but with the 21-year-old failing to get involved much during the club’s first three league games, should there be any cause for concern about the player already?

It is of course still extremely early in the new season and Borini should be granted time to settle in to a new side, in a new league and adjust to both the physical and mental demands that come with it. But history shows that Liverpool have been burnt when they’ve bought from Italy in the past, with both Andrea Dossena and Alberto Aquilani struggling to either settle or force their way into the side and they will be hoping that Borini doesn’t follow a similar path.

The former Roma striker enjoyed a decent campaign last year, finishing with 10 goals in 26 games, nine of which came in Serie A. However, the fee paid for him, particularly when you keep in mind how strict the financial constraints are around Anfield at the moment, seems a tad excessive for a player who had just 46 first-team career appearances to his name at the time of the move.

Of course, the fact that he made Cesare Prandelli’s Italy squad for Euro 2012 must have played a part in his price rising, as will the fact that Roma had just paid Parma €5.3m in a blind auction for the other 50% of Borini’s rights just two weeks before his move to Liverpool, having spent €2.3 million on the initial 50% the year before.

Rodgers has clearly tried to find players this summer that he knows can fit into his system straight away so that the team can hit the ground running. Joe Allen arrived at great expense from Swansea for £15m, but his familiarity with the Rodgers ethos and style has seen him slot seamlessly into the side already and he’s impressed so far. Oussama Assaidi had cultivated a reputation in Holland for being a lively, touchline-hugging winger in the Nathan Dyer mould and Nuri Sahin remains one of the most exciting central midfield players in Europe, comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Borini worked with Rodgers at Swansea, albeit briefly, during a hugely successful two-month loan spell from Chelsea back in  2011, with his six goals in nine league games providing a welcome boost down the home straight which went a long way to helping the club get promoted to the Premier League. His clinical finishing and ability to play in a number of roles prompted the club to move for him during the transfer window this year and his age makes him something of a long-term purchase for Liverpool.

Rodgers said as much about Borini when he signed him: “He’s a big talent. He’s technically strong, he’s a good finisher with both feet, he can play central or on the sides in a 4-3-3 up front, he’s quick, and he’s tactically very good.

“He is arguably the best physical player I’ve worked with in terms of his pace, power and fitness. Mentally, he’s very strong. We’ve got a player who is on the up.”

However, in the club’s opening three league games, Borini has been fairly anonymous and fans haven’t seen many examples of his so-called pace or power, as he’s looked worryingly lightweight and not as quick as you may initially assume. Against West Brom, he cut an isolated figure alongside Luis Suarez as they toiled up top in what was a frustrating afternoon for the side, while in the 2-2 draw with champions Manchester City, he missed a gilt-edged chance from a Raheem Sterling cross and was frequently wasteful while in possession.

It was the game against Arsenal, though, that really drove home that here is a player that could struggle, for the rest of his first season in the Premier League at least. Liverpool dominated possession for long spells but whenever it seemed to get near Borini, the move broke down and his crossing is not only erratic, it’s based on hope rather than percentages. At the moment he’s like Dirk Kuyt without the rare moments of quality – all running and very little in the way of end product or guile.

It was his goal against FC Gomel that highlighted his finishing ability, but the thing with that goal was that it gave him little time to think and he was simply relying upon his natural instincts, but it’s when he’s given time to think that his decision-making often lets him down at the moment.

This is all part and parcel of being a young player and perhaps expectations have been unfairly raised due to the inflated nature of his transfer fee, but with such a small squad at his disposal and with even fewer attacking options to choose from now that Andy Carroll has left on loan to West Ham, Rodgers needs Borini to step up and deliver right from the off, otherwise the side will continue to flounder and struggle to score goals.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It hasn’t helped that both Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard have been in some dog rough form of late, but he needs to get involved more. You also have to factor in that between the now departed quartet of Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Craig Bellamy and Andy Carroll, they scored 29 times last season and that’s quite a big vacuum in terms of goals throughout the squad that needs filling in the short-term.

What Borini does have going for him is that he is undoubtedly a talented player and he’s at ease with Rodgers methods, but he needs to be more than just a willing runner and a keen participant in games. He’s still young and he will need time to settle, but if the team’s poor start to the season continues, patience may soon begin to run out with the raw forward.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

Middlesbrough face an uphill battle to keep their hopes of promotion to the English Premier League alive after suffering a 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the first leg of their play-off clash.

Tony Pulis’ side know that they now require a mammoth performance at Villa Park mid-week book their place in the play-off final at Wembley after a Mile Jedinak goal gave their visitors the advantage on Saturday.

It was a competitive match and Boro may feel they did enough to deserve a draw, but ultimately they could not take their chances and paid the price.

Fans were frustrated they couldn’t find a goal and had criticism for striker Britt Assombalonga in particular, who missed a chance or two to give them a vital foothold in the tie.

With 15 goals this season, last summer’s big signing hasn’t had the worst of campaigns, but supporters are now hoping that Pulis turns to Patrick Bamford on Tuesday night.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts after Saturday’s result…

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United have shown their intent to get back amongst English football’s elite this summer with a host of impressive new signings.

For some of the current Red Devils’ squad the string of new faces to arrive at Old Trafford will inevitably mean little-to-no football next season or a potential exit from the club. One of the aforementioned group facing uncertainty over his role within Louis van Gaal’s ranks is Adnan Januzaj, who in his short career to date has been both United’s new messiah and a fringe figure.

With this in mind, can the Belgium international live up to his potential and become a club legend at Old Trafford or will he just be another young player to not make the grade?

Januzaj is clearly a supremely talented attacker, with his introduction under David Moyes rightly filling Red Devils fans full of excitement and hope that a ‘new Cristiano Ronaldo’ had been unearthed.

With the versatility to play on either flank and the desire to play centrally, the teenager has shown superb skill, an eye for goal and creativity that suggests that he has what it takes to be a first-team regular.

However, last term under Van Gaal, the youngster fell behind the likes of Ashley Young, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata and others in the pecking order for a starting berth on the flanks.

A return of only seven Premier League starts last season suggests that his role at Old Trafford is one of little importance, not a player that the club can build a team around.

For the young star, a loan move at another Premier League club in 2015/16 could be a more appealing option than spending another campaign on the bench. The indication is that the 20-year-old’s chances of playing regularly have been reduced further this summer, with Memphis Depay joining the club and Matteo Darmian also being able to play on the right wing also.

Pre-season hints, however, that Van Gaal is willing to give Januzaj time to prove himself at the club, with the starlet given an opportunity to play in prestigious fixtures against teams like Barcelona.

With Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie both leaving Old Trafford over the off-season, United are lacking in strikers currently, with Wayne Rooney the only recognised and experienced option.

As such Van Gaal could well have a new formation in mind, or a new role for players such as Januzaj. The former Anderlecht youth player has been operating in a central attacking role in pre-season, which could well give Januzaj more opportunities to feature in the Premier League due to his flexibility.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It will be interesting to gauge just how much football the Belgian gets in the forthcoming campaign, but there are signs that show positivity for the youngster.

After a disappointing campaign in 2014/15, it is time for Januzaj to prove himself as a potential new Ryan Giggs rather than the next Luke Chadwick.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will undoubtedly be pleased with the acquisition of Brazil star Paulinho – the stocky midfielder produced a good account of himself during his country’s successful Confederations Cup campaign, with two goals to boot.

But more than simply a club in need of added quality signing a player of a high enough standard with further potential to develop over the next few years, the £17million purchase also represents a much welcomed change in tact at White Hart Lane, with an early summer signing in sharp contrast to previous years, where Chairman Daniel Levy, who headed transfers under Harry Redknapp, often waited for deadline day to make bargain bucket deals.

The deviating path in the transfer market has undoubtedly been influenced but two clear factors; firstly, the appointment of a new technical director, former England assistant Franco Baldini, which has in effect modified the structure of the Tottenham hierarchy and Levy’s role when it comes to sourcing new talent, and secondly, PSG’s pursuit of Andre Villas-Boas, which has allowed him to claim a greater authority amongst the corridors and backroom meetings at White Hart Lane.

[cat_link cat=”tottenham-hotspur” type=”tower”]

There is something to be said for the old approach. Despite the tendency it had to leave Spurs fans in a nervous wreck as the transfer window edged ever closer to closing, in fear that the Lilywhites roster would not be substantially improved by new signings, Levy’s manner of holding off until the last minute saw them capture Rafael Van Der Vaart, Scott Parker and William Gallas in recent years, whilst last summer the North Londoners brought in Moussa Dembele on the 29th of August, and Clint Dempsey and Hugo Lloris on the 31st.

But the method quite clearly had its flaws – had Levy not been so concerned with getting the best deal possible, Joao Moutinho would have become a Tottenham player last summer, whilst the club also let their pursuit of Leandro Damiao peter out – and considering the situation during the current off-season, the change in transfer policy couldn’t have come at a better time.

Andre Villas-Boas and his employers are desperate to keep a-hold of Gareth Bale for as long as possible. Although both club and player have insisted the Welsh wizard is going nowhere this summer, it’s not hard to imagine a situation where Bale’s head could be easily turned as we approach the end of August by the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, especially if secured signings of added quality at such a point in time were few and far between.

But the early acquisition of Paulinho has already gone some way to curb the threat of Tottenham’s talisman winger making a last-gasp dash for the Spanish sun. The Brazilian will undoubtedly not be the club’s only big signing this transfer window, as the Lilywhites attempt to surround Bale with as much quality as possible, before he feels he’s outgrown his surroundings and team-mates at White Hart Lane.

Similarly, the signal of intent is clear to see. £17million is a lot of money, even by modern standards, and whilst local rivals Arsenal attempt to trump them with their £23million pursuit of Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain, Paulinho’s capture sends out a clear message that Daniel Levy and Andre Villas-Boas are very much interested in overcoming last season’s final day heartbreak of missing out on Champions League qualification, putting the club’s money where their mouths are in the process.

But the deal spans further beyond that in terms of what it symbolises. The ambition for this season was always breaking into the top four, although Paulinho’s costly purchase makes the target seem that little bit more realistic. The difference is however, Tottenham are now conducting themselves like an elite Premier League club, rather than simply the best of the rest of the English top flight, scavenging the transfer market for the scraps of other major European clubs.

Instead, Spurs have focused on the player they want and need, that will bring specific skills to the first team whilst also raising the quality, without dithering over ideas of whether or not there’s a more cost-effective target out there, and losing out on players over the pride of a few extra million. It dictates to the fans that the Lilywhites are now capable making the big signings, but furthermore, that they are able to attract the right quality of player, without having to rely upon mitigating transfer circumstances working in their favour.

Furthermore, with the coming Premier League season set to be the most unpredictable yet following the change of the managerial guard at Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United – David Moyes’ appointment at the latter symbolising the end of an era and great uncertainty at Old Trafford – Tottenham can only benefit from getting their deals done as early as possible. Every club in the top flight is hell-bent on taking advantage of the insecurity all-round, and whether their ambition is to maintain or improve upon their current league standing, all will be investing heavily in the transfer market this summer.

Liverpool have made four key signings already, and are set to make their biggest purchase of the summer in Shaktar’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, valued at £25million, whilst Manchester City have already spent £54million on two players, but will also be looking to bring in a new, high quality forward. You know it’s an important transfer window when even Arsene Wenger breaks a decade-long habit in spending big, and leaving purchases to the last minute, in the manner which we have seen from Daniel Levy in recent years, will undoubtedly have left the club a long way behind it’s divisional rivals.

The change in philosophy couldn’t have come at a better time – Paulinho is a fantastic addition to the Spurs roster and feel at home in the Premier League, whilst this summer more than ever, it is vitally important that the Lilywhites are seen moving forwards rather than backwards, which in itself is no easy task considering strong investment all-round in the English top flight, and the constant murmurings that Gareth Bale could be leaving for a higher calling at some point over the next two months.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But the purchases cannot stop there. For all of the positivity in this article, Spurs have often made a select few early signings, only go silent until the final week of August. Paulinho is a good start and a strong foundation, but Tottenham must continue to bring in further quality, as early as possible, not only to guarantee a positive start to the season – something which undoubtedly scuppered the club’s chances of Champions League qualification last year – but also to prevent their targets being lured away by other clubs.

David Villa’s potential move is becoming more and more of a likely possibility by the day, whilst Ibrahim Afellay, youngster Bernard, Jackson Martinez and Fabio Coentrao have also been heavily linked with a relocation to White Hart Lane.  The club will not be able to secure the signings of all, but Tottenham fans will be hoping at least two can be attracted to North London this summer, and furthermore, like Paulinho, they will not be purchased in the final hours of transfer deadline day.

Will Spurs benefit from doing their business early this year?

Join the debate below!

Alex Song has stated that he did not want to leave Arsenal, and was ready to commit to the north London club for life.

Arsene Wenger sold the Cameroon international to Barcelona this summer, amid speculation that the player was asking for a pay increase.

However, the African battler has stated that he was eager to sign a new long-term deal at the Emirates Stadium and had not spoken about financial reward.

“I woke up and read those things in the paper and was really surprised and disappointed. I love Arsenal, I never wanted to leave,” The Sun quote Song as saying.

“I was ready to commit my future to the club. All I wanted were talks about a new contract but each time we were due to sit down, the club postponed it. I was fobbed off.

“I wanted a new five-year contract at Arsenal. In the end I got one — at Barcelona.

“I had been trying for eight months to start talking about a new long-term deal but the club kept postponing me all the time, saying ‘You have three years left’.

“I hadn’t talked about money I just wanted to sit down and discuss a new deal — I wanted to commit my career to the club I loved.

“Then out of the blue, Barcelona came in for me.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“And, suddenly, I was wanted by the biggest club in the world and they wanted to give me a five-year deal,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]

Manchester City fans would have been delighted when Pep Guardiola became the club’s new manager almost two years ago.

The Spaniard arrived at the Etihad Stadium with plenty of pedigree having won six league titles across spells in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Guardiola’s debut campaign as City boss was a transitional one, but his team came into their own this season as they blew away the opposition and sealed the Premier League title a month early.

As well as becoming English champions, the North-West outfit clinched the Carabao Cup and are continually breaking records.

With the summer transfer window just around the corner, rumours have been rumbling about potential incomings and outgoings.

A recent report in the Manchester Evening News claimed that Real Madrid are interested in four of City’s first-team players, including defender John Stones.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, following City’s 4-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday, Guardiola rubbished the notion of Stones leaving.

Rather than focus on the comment about Stones, the fans looked deeper into the manager’s remark about his own future.

Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".Comment from discussion Pep: "I don’t know how long I will be here in Manchester, but as long as I’m here, John Stones will be with us.".

Déjà vu all over again. Liverpool have once again missed out on a major transfer target, with Memphis Depay snaking his way towards Manchester United – making the blow a even more bitter. Here’s a quick list of the players Liverpool have chased and missed out on recent seasons and where they are now:

Henrikh Mkhitaryan –Dortmund

Willian – Chelsea

Diego Costa – also at Chelsea

Mohamed Salah – Fiorentina (via Chelsea)

Yevhen Konoplyanka – Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk

Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal

It’s fair to say the Reds are making a habit out of failing to get deals over the line, which is a big worry on Merseyside. A lack of big European appeal, an inability to compete financially with other clubs and sheer incompetence have scuppered all of the above in some capacity, and there are genuine fears that Depay may not be the only major target the club miss out on this summer.

Here are FIVE more stars Liverpool simply have to ensure aren’t added to the above list…

[interaction ]

Raheem Sterling

We’ll kick off by discussing a player already at the club. Raheem Sterling, despite being just 20, is one of Liverpool’s key men. His performances in a variety of attacking roles have been very impressive, while his seven Premier League goals make him Brendan Rodgers’ most prolific scorer – read into that what you will.

However, his contract saga is rumbling on, with the England international not willing to even discuss an extension to the two years he has remaining on Merseyside until the final ball of the 2015/16 campaign has been kicked. With Champions League football, barring a miracle, off the menu for next season and Rodgers having endured another trophy-less season, Liverpool may have a job on their hands to convince Sterling to stay, with Manchester City extremely keen.

James Milner

Although not a ‘box office’ name, James Milner could be one of the signings of the summer. The 29-year-old is looking increasingly likely to leave Manchester City on a free when his contract expires, and Liverpool have been mooted as the side closest to his signature.

A versatile and committed player, Milner could fill the void Steven Gerrard is set to leave in the Reds’ engine room – he’s due to join LA Galaxy in a few months’ time – making him a vital addition. The lack of fee will free up funds for other signatures, with a player of the former Leeds man’s quality likely to command around £20m in the real market. Arsenal are also keen, which is a worry.

Alexandre Lacazette

Tentative links have been bubbling away between Liverpool and Alexandre Lacazette for some time. We should perhaps say this quietly, but the Frenchman may be even better than Memphis Depay, with his season having been at least on a par with the Dutchman’s. Over in Ligue 1, Lacazette has smashed 27 goals in 31 outings, dragging unfancied Lyon into the title race alongside uber-rich Parisians, PSG.

The 23-year-old is lightening fast, excellent on the ball and prolific, making him an ideal Daniel Sturridge stand-in for the 50% of games he’ll inevitably miss through injury. However, Chelsea are interested…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Danny Ings

Another freebie on the Liverpool hit list is Danny Ings. The Burnley man may command a compensation fee of close to £5m due to his age – 23 – but he could be worth it. Brendan Rodgers’ side’s big struggle this season has been goals, and with Daniel Sturridge due to be out until September due to his latest injury, they will need a forward. Ings has netted 10 goals in his maiden voyage into the Premier League, which is all the more impressive given that he’s been playing the for relegated Clarets.

HMS Manchester United could, though, send a torpedo towards Liverpool again.

Martin Montoya

Reports in Spain have suggested that Martin Montoya is on the verge of joining Liverpool, which is welcome news for Reds fans. The Spaniard would be a direct replacement for departing right-back Glen Johnson, and it’s fair to say he’ll be an immediate upgrade given the Englishman’s worrying decline over the last 12 months.

However, the longer the deal drags on the more likely it is another club could come in for the Spaniard, which would leave Rodgers without an experienced full-back to fill the role.

New Leeds boss Brian McDermott has hailed the club’s fans for their support during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Despite going behind in the first half, a Luke Varney brace saw the Whites seal a huge three points that may prove to be enough to see them secure their Championship status.

The game was McDermott’s first in charge and the former Reading boss says he was delighted with how the Yorkshire club’s passionate following supported his team during Saturday’s clash.

“I was really pleased. It was hard in the first half and we knew we shouldn’t have gone in a goal down but there was a good response after the interval, which was really important,” he said.

“I told them at half-time that the crowd really wanted to get behind them. I’ve been at places where that hasn’t been the case but when we got to 1-1 it made a real difference.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

‪[cat_link cat=”leeds” type=”grid”]

Manchester United booked their place in this season’s FA Cup final on Saturday by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley, keeping their chances marking their campaign with silverware alive.

But the last time the Red Devils faced the Lilywhites, they suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat in which they could hardly match the north Londoners for energy and attacking verve.

So what was the difference this time and how did United end up coming out on top in their most important domestic fixture of the season so far? Football FanCast take a look at three things Jose Mourinho’s side crucially got right against Spurs on Saturday…

Transitioning between 4-3-3 and 4-2-2-2

United lined up in a 4-3-3 formation on the team sheet but in actuality, it ended up being more of a 4-2-2-2 with Paul Pogba pushing up alongside Jesse Lingard in attacking midfield and Alexis Sanchez moving free of the wing to create a front two alongside Romelu Lukaku.

And the shrewdness of that transitional system really told after 24 minutes when the January signing headed home an equaliser; it was Pogba who drifted out wide to whip a beautiful cross into the Chile international, having moved from the left wing to make a late run into the box and attack the ball in a central area.

Getting the best out of Sanchez and Pogba while playing in the same starting XI has been one of Mourinho’s biggest headaches at Old Trafford this season, but the clever use of a system that shifted between two formations has offered a promising solution.

Pogba dominated Mousa Dembele

The last time Tottenham hosted United at Wembley the Red Devils went home with their tails between their legs, suffering a 2-0 defeat at the hands of their Big Six rivals. The midfield battle was crucial in that game and Pogba found himself subbed off with half an hour left to spare after being completely dominated by Mousa Dembele.

But on Saturday, fortunes reversed for United and Tottenham’s midfield powerhouses, this time the Belgium international finding himself hooked early after being overshadowed by the Frenchman.

It’s another key feature of United’s performance that was epitomised by the first goal – Pogba winning the ball off Dembele, who naively attempted to turn inside, before distributing it so accurately to Sanchez.

For all the talk of tactics and systems, key individual battles can have as big an impact on games and results. Getting the better of Dembele was crucial for United on Saturday and amid another season of divisive performances, it was a crucial display from Pogba too.

Keeping Spurs narrow in second half

If Tottenham have one long-standing flaw, it’s how their attacking play can become incredibly narrow at times, reducing to the rather one-dimensional approach of trying to play through the opposition in central areas.

Perhaps it owes as much to Mauricio Pochettino’s failure to change the game as any tactical instruction from Mourinho, but United nonetheless deserve credit for firstly how they contained Tottenham’s incredibly talented front four as they looked to pass through them in the second half, and secondly how they stopped the Lilywhites from stretching the backline.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Indeed, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son all ended up playing essentially within the width of the penalty area, which allowed Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and the two centre-halves to clog up space with their power and industriousness.

In fact, one of the few occasions when United didn’t manage to keep Spurs’ forward play inward was early on for the first goal, when the ball was chipped down the touchline and Eriksen crossed it in for Alli to slide home from close range.

Pochettino should have done more to arrest how central Tottenham’s attacks became, especially on a pitch as large as Wembley’s, but United’s ability to counter-act that was another aspect of Mourinho’s game-plan that worked incredibly well.

[ad_pod ]