Luis Suarez has called on Liverpool’s fans to stay “calm” as the Reds look to close in on a first ever Premier League title.
The Merseysiders are currently two points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table with four games to go, and know that if they take a point off of Blues at Anfield and win their remaining three fixtures they will lift the trophy after Manchester City slipped to a shock midweek draw against Sunderland.
After their pivotal victory at home to Manuel Pellegrini’s men last weekend the sense of optimism and hope reached an all time high at the club, with many fans now believing that this could be the year that the 24-year wait to be English football’s top club force could be ended.
Suarez says that he is aware of the excitement, but that he believes that the supports must stay grounded to help Liverpool get over the line:
“It’s normal for the supporters to get excited and be discussing our chances.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.
“When I’m out shopping or out with my family I bump into fans who mention it to me. I’ve told them to stay calm and not to worry. We’ll be trying our best.
“For the players, it’s probably best if we don’t get involved in that kind of talk.
“Personally, I think that if I don’t watch TV, listen to the radio or read about us on the internet it’s better. I know what the situation is.
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“Winning the title would be very special but we can’t think about that yet.”
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According to recent reports, Thomas Vermaelen has agreed to a contract with Manchester United, with the current Arsenal captain unhappy with his lack of minutes at the Emirates.
If this goes through, it will be the second time in three summers United have landed Arsenal’s club captain. The squad at Old Trafford is in need of plenty of surgery this summer and Vermaelen would be a good replacement for Rio Ferdinand, provided, of course, he returns to his best form.
Louis van Gaal is said to have a transfer budget of around £200 million this summer. Plenty to work with in order to get this team back to its best.
With a lot of talent on display at the World Cup in Brazil, these are six players who could follow Vermaelen to United this summer.
[ffc-gallery]Click on Cavani to reveal
Football – Uruguay v Costa Rica – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group D – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 14/6/14Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani celebrates with team mates after scoring their first goal from the penalty spotMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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Edinson Cavani
Football – Uruguay v Costa Rica – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group D – Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, Brazil – 14/6/14Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani celebrates with team mates after scoring their first goal from the penalty spotMandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Manchester United were last week rumoured to have placed a bid for Edinson Cavani, who hasn’t always looked happy at PSG. The Uruguayan forward has had an indifferent season by his standards but would be a great signal of intent by United if they were to land his signature. Cavani has won trophies, has the experience of playing at the highest level in the Champions League and is a regular with his national team. This is certainly a player who could help deliver the league title to Old Trafford next season.
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Daley Blind
Football – Spain v Netherlands – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group B – Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil – 13/6/14Holland’s Daley Blind (R) in action with Spain’s Cesar Azpilicueta Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Daley Blind starred for the Netherlands at left-back in their 5-1 win over Spain, but the 24-year-old’s future may lie in the centre of the pitch. Blind arrived in the Ajax first team as a full-back but was converted to the central holding role under Frank de Boer, where Blind has blossomed and arguably performed better than he has in the back four. What is certain, based on his game against Spain at least, is that Blind is more than able in either position, two positions Man United are in need of strengthening this summer. It wouldn’t be a surprise is Louis van Gaal used his connections to the player to make him one of his first signings as United manager.
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Ricardo Rodriguez
Football – VfL Wolfsburg v Manchester City Pre Season Friendly – Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany – 12/13 , 4/8/12Ricardo Rodriguez – VfL Wolfsburg Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Adam Holt
This World Cup is sure to be an important point in the career of Ricardo Rodriguez. Even though Wolfsburg are building a strong team in the Bundesliga, the growing reputation of Rodriguez has led to plenty of attention from around Europe. The Swiss international is considered one of the most talented left-backs on the continent and could comfortably take over from Patrice Evra at United for the long term. Rodriguez had a good game against Ecuador, showing his quality at both ends of the pitch and providing assists for both of Switzerland’s goals. He certainly won’t come cheap, but he could offer better value for money over Luke Shaw.
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Toni Kroos
Football – Real Madrid v Bayern Munich – UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg – Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – 13/14 – 23/4/14Toni Kroos – Bayern Munich Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Another twist has emerged in the Toni Kroos transfer/contract saga: Chelsea are said to be interested. That’s Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man United, obviously, who have sounded out the Bayern midfielder. Kroos’ major issue at Bayern is wages, where the club aren’t happy to meet the player’s demands. But with his current contract up in a year, Kroos would comfortably get what he wants at either Chelsea, Real or United. Bayern therefore have a decision to make: sell now, agree to his demands, or lose him for free next summer. Considering they’re yet to come to any sort of resolution, expect Kroos to be out the door at some stage in the next year. This is without question something United should take advantage of.
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Granit Xhaka
Football – Wales v Switzerland UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying Group G – Liberty Stadium – Swansea, Wales – 7/10/11Granit Xhaka and Valon Behrami – SwitzerlandMandatory Credit: Action Images / Andrew Couldridge
Granit Xhaka was said to be on Manchester United’s radar before his move to Borussia Monchengladbach, having been a part of the Basel team who knocked United out of the Champions League in 2012. The young Swiss midfielder had a difficult first season in Germany but really found his form this past year. He’s energetic, knows how to play a possession game, has a good range of passing, and works extremely well on the defensive side. At 21, he’s exactly the kind of midfielder who will help to breathe life into the United squad.
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Juan Cuardado
Football – Colombia v Greece – FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 – Group C – Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – 14/6/14Colombia’s Juan Cuadrado warms up before the matchMandatory Credit: Action Images / Jed LeicesterLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
A lot has been expected of Juan Cuadrado heading into this World Cup, with the Fiorentina winger impressing throughout last season. The winger, who can play through the middle as a forward and as an attacking full-back, has drawn a lot of attention from around Europe, with Barcelona most recently said to be interested. But United, in need of an overhaul on the flanks, could do with a player of the Colombian’s quality. He’s extremely quick, has plenty of tricks in his locker and is able to score from long range. It’s no great surprise he’s considered such an integral part of this talented Colombia side.
About a week ago now, Nottingham was awarded the first ‘City of Football’ title, ahead of other fellow finalists Portsmouth and Manchester. These three cities were selected by Sport England as contenders due to their commitment to promote sport from the grassroots level.
What this award means is Nottingham will be given £1.6m in National Lottery funding to run a two-year pilot programme to create new ideas to get more people, mostly those aged between 14-25, playing the national game of football.
There is currently a growing concern about the amount of people playing the game at grassroots level, as participant numbers have fallen from 2.2 million in June 2012, to 1.8 million in December 2013.
Phil Smith, Director of Sport at Sport England, said: “Nottingham has an exciting and inventive response to the challenge of getting more people to play the game and we will look forward to working with them to make this happen.
“Nottingham was simply the best – it was a terrific bid.”
This is an exciting time for Nottingham Forest and Notts County because one of the main focal points of developing football in England is right on their doorstep, and hopefully they’ll be able to take advantage of what it produces, whether that be players or something else, to develop their own sides.
Mr Smith said the £1.6m will be spent on a variety of projects including new sporting facilities and the digital service, helping to reach young people through their smartphones.
One way which Nottingham hopes to entice more people to participate in football is through a digital platform called ‘Playbook’. This ‘Playbook’ will help promote football activities around the city and bring more people to the sport.
The city also has a month long Festival of Football planned as well, creating playing opportunities in more urban spaces and using social media to connect players.
Nigel Cooke, head of One Nottingham, which promotes the city, said: “Over the next two years, we will create new football partnerships; develop new technologies; encourage more people to play, especially 14 to 25 year olds, women and girls and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds; and share our learning so that the rest of England can benefit from our insight.”
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Team Nottingham, who are working alongside Forest and County said: “We will make it as easy as possible for people to get to their game.”
“If football isn’t delivered to them in their community, then public transport will take them there at an affordable price. We’ll create freedom and flexibility for football players to enable them to play.”
It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
As many will know, Arsenal’s quest to win a trophy came to a dramatic end last season, beating Hull City 3-2 in the FA Cup final at Wembley thanks to a winning strike from midfielder Aaron Ramsey. Now, Arsene Wenger and his players have turned their attention on claiming back the Premier League title for the first time since 2004. The Gunners quest to add to their 13 Premier League titles has resulted in Wenger dipping his hands into the transfer market, and finally, much to the relief of most Arsenal fans, splashed the cash on supposedly world class talent.
Over the years, Wenger faith in the Academy set up in North London is one of the fundamental reasons why they have underachieved, consistently only scraping into the top four. Now he has finally decided to splash the cash on the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, but it seems that Wenger has paid very little attention on the defensive side of his team. Selling captain Thomas Vermaelen to FC Barcelona could prove to be a fatal move from the Frenchman, considering the North Londoners have experienced a plethora of absentees thus far, especially defensively.
The question on everybody’s lips is why did Arsene Wenger not fork out some money on a world class defender? The formula to winning a football match is simple, if you don’t concede goals, you don’t lose games. Scoring isn’t a problem for Arsenal and hasn’t been since Wenger took the reins at the club in 1996. However, Arsenal tend to leak goals, especially when they face top opposition.
So far, the Gunners have had an incredible 16 players that have been deemed injured or unfit to play this season, with first choice defensive pairing Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker included. This is an incredible stat considering we are only eight games into the new season and it’s only likely to get worse. This has resulted in Wenger having to put huge faith in young and inexperienced right back Hector Bellerin. Being forced too fast-track players into the first team could destroy a player’s career in a matter of a few games.
Wenger did acquire Calum Chambers from Southampton in the summer, but the full back, who can also operate as a makeweight centre half, is popular in the referee’s notebook and already found himself with a suspension. This has resulted in the likes of left back Nacho Monreal and defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini shifting into the heart of the Arsenal backline, which made the Gunners vulnerable from corners and set pieces. Also, arguably Arsenal’s best defender Laurent Koscielny’s fitness has been questioned and wheter he can last a whole season remains to be seen. The Gunners are a formidable side when the French international is playing, winning 63.2% of their games when he was included in the starting line-up last season, compared to winning just 28.6% of their games without him.
Wenger’s desire not improve at the back could come back to haunt him. Currently sitting 7th in the table, Arsenal have drawn five games already, along with Sunderland, which is the most in the league. Conceding 11 goals in eight games, Arsenal have conceded more goals than the likes of Southampton and Swansea City. When the January transfer window comes, Wenger will have to admit to his mistake and strengthen his team’s defence.
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Mario Balotelli can make it at Liverpool and his performances will improve, but only when he increases his work-rate.
The Italian has not started as well as Liverpool fans would’ve hoped and after eight appearances for the Reds he has scored just once – against Ludogorets in the Champions League. Mario’s shot accuracy is 44%, which when compared to the Premier League’s top scorer Diego Costa (84%) is very poor. He is yet to get a direct assist for Liverpool – generally he hasn’t contributed much at all and that led to him being dropped for Rickie Lambert for Liverpool’s home game against West Brom.
His attitude is notoriously poor and English football fans know all about that from his time spent with Manchester City. AC Milan’s president Silvio Berlusconi hit out at Balotelli after he left the Italian giants and declared himself pleased that the “rotten apple” that is Mario is no longer in the Milan dressing room. Quite incredible comments, especially considering the 24-year-old had a decent record for AC – 30 goals in 54 games.
His troubles in his past were mainly to do with his mischievous ways off the pitch, rather than what he did on it, and that should be very much in his past. Liverpool made it known that in order to agree a contract with Mario they wanted him to agree to their demand that he won’t misbehave, and if he does then Liverpool are in control of his future. This has not however improved his work-rate on the pitch.
His much anticipated return to the Premier League against Tottenham was promising for Liverpool fans. He looked bright and should have scored early on when he struck the woodwork from close range. However it was his new found work-rate which really impressed, and he was tracking back and coming deep to win the ball – like a young Wayne Rooney was renowned for. However that hard working Balotelli appears to have disappeared again and unless he can increase his work-rate he won’t repay Brendan Rodgers’ trust.
It seems now Mario is sitting too deep in the Liverpool system and when The Reds’ creative players get themselves into decent wide positions the Italian striker is nowhere to be seen in the box and is therefore a very little threat to the opposing defenders. He hasn’t ever been a particularly strong ‘poacher’ and a large selection of his goals have come from set-pieces. He’s a very good penalty taker but that doesn’t mean he’ll get a chance all the while Steven Gerrard is at Liverpool. Mario certainly has the ability to score wonderful goals and he has the ability to score tons of goals at Liverpool as long as he’s willing to work hard.
That is all that he is missing. When/if the work-rate comes the Italian can still become a Liverpool cult hero, as nowhere quite like England do the supporters appreciate hard work from their players. The goals will come and the Liverpool fans will love him if he gives them all that he has. If you get the Reds supporters on your side, they’ll support you for as long as you wear the shirt.
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David Moyes’ torrid eleven months at Old Trafford will forever be remembered as one of the darkest episodes in recent Manchester United history. But if there’s one decision Red Devils fans will be thanking the much-maligned Scot for in the many years to come, it’s likely his tying down of prodigy winger Adnan Januzaj to a five-year contract, along with a £5million signing-on sweetener, in October 2013.
A supremely talented teenager, Januzaj exploded onto the scene with a stunning brace against Sunderland during his first start for Manchester United. Just a handful of appearances later, he was nominated for BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award and became the epicentre of a tug of war between the England, Belgium, Albania and Turkey national teams – all of whom he was legible to play for.
So away from the chaos of last season and in the comfort of a far more positive, organised and ambitious United side, many expected the youngster to be treading new ground this season – perhaps even a starring role despite his tender age, parallel to that of Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling.
Counter-intuitively however, Januzaj seems at his furthest from United’s starting Xi since his debut almost eighteen months ago, eclipsed by the club’s ‘Gaalactico’ summer signings and struggling to even claim a place on the bench. In total, he’s seen just 409 minutes’ worth of Premier League action this term and is yet to record a goal or an assist from ten outings – four starts and six sub appearances.
There are now reports he could be sent out on loan in January, either a link-up with David Moyes and Real Sociedad or a shorter trip to Everton, so the question persists; should Manchester United fans be concerned by Januzaj’s seemingly limited progress this season?
Of course, we are talking about a 19 year-old with over a decade ahead of him to turn good. Januzaj’s potential remains without doubt; even though his performances have remained fairly unspectacular this season, averaging 0.8 chances created, 0.8 successful take-ons, 1.4 attempts at goal per match compared to 1.15, 1.89 and 1.8 respectively last term, glimpses of his quality are still forthcoming, be it through his imaginative link-up play or ability to perform technically-demanding skill.
His decision-making often comes under criticism from sectors of the United support but that should hardly be a concern regarding a player so young. It’s a case of when, rather than if, the Belgium international begins to pick his moments more wisely and stops overcomplicating matters in the final third.
Yet, the lingering doubt, in my opinion, stems from Louis van Gaal. The Manchester United boss has worked at some of the biggest clubs in world football and the alumni of debutants from his spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich verges on legendary; Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, David Alaba, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, the De Boer brothers to name a few.
Consequentially, one would expect Januzaj to flourish under a manager with such an incredible reputation of developing young talent, but he’s been outshone in that regard by the likes of Luke Shaw, James Wilson, Patrick McNair and Tyler Blackett. One could even argue Reece James – a star of United’s pre-season tour – has shown more progress than the Belgian under LVG this season.
That’s not to suggest Januzaj has in any way fallen afoul of van Gaal in the same manner Wilfried Zaha did under David Moyes last season, for example. He’s issued the Belgian wizzkid ten Premier League appearances, after all, which is more than Wilson, Blackett and McNair.
But it certainly gives food for thought, and with the landscape at Manchester United ever-changing at this moment in time – indeed, they seem to be switching formations, systems and starting line-ups on a weekly basis, whilst further lucrative arrivals are expected in January – perhaps a loan move wouldn’t be the worst option for young Januzaj. There’s no disgrace in taking a step backward to go forward – especially at a club with the monolithic pressures of Manchester United.
So should Red Devils fans be concerned? Perhaps that Januzaj hasn’t taken to the change in regime quite so quickly as some of United’s other youngsters. Some might also suspect whether the Belgian’s attitude has been affected by his new found fame and fortune. But more than concern, what Januzaj deserves now is patience; having exploded onto the Premier League in a fit of frenzied hype, it would be a tremendous shame if he soon becomes surrounded in equally rash, counter-acting criticism.
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The 19 year-old has already shown phenomenal progress for a player his age – fans may have to wait a little longer than expected, but there seems little doubt that Januzaj will be worth it.
Arsenal were one of the Premier League’s more active sides during the January transfer window, recruiting Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw on the 21st and following up five days later with a swoop for Villarreal’s Gabriel Paulista.
It was still hardly a window of prolific spending however, with a total outlay of just under £14million, when compared to a summer in which the Gunners splashed out a whopping £80million.
So, should the north Londoners be praised for not falling into the many traps of the winter market, or is this a window of missed opportunities for Arsenal?
Perhaps this select XI, combining the club’s top performers with rumoured January targets, will shed some light on the debate.
GOALKEEPER – MATTIA PERIN
With Arsenal No.1 Wojciech Szczesny enduring a rather turbulent campaign both on and off the field, committing a catalog of costly errors between the sticks and caught smoking post-match in the Southampton showers, the Gunners were linked with a number of potential replacements during the January window, including Serie A sensation Mattia Perin.
Dubbed ‘the next Gigi Buffon’ for his lofty frame and shared hairstyle, the 22 year-old has made the most saves of any Italian top flight goalkeeper this season with an impressive 63 in 20 appearances, also boasting five clean sheets.
Indeed, the one-cap Italian international is tipped for great things; accordingly, The Express alleged Arsenal were considering a £12million bid for his services last month.
Perhaps due to the impressive form of David Ospina in recent weeks, such a bid failed to materialise.
RIGHT BACK – MATHIEU DEBUCHY
Having invested £28million in two right-backs during the summer, Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy, and recently found another potential gem in academy product Hector Bellerin, No.2 was one of the departments that didn’t require Arsene Wenger’s attention last month.
Despite struggling to stay fit, the France international has proved a decent addition for the Gunners, averaging an impressive 2.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 5.1 clearances per match from his 10 Premier League outings.
CENTRE-BACK – WINSTON REID
Arsenal remedied their dearth of depth at centre-back with an £11million swoop for Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista during the winter window – but was he the best option on the table?
West Ham’s Winston Reid, for example, also linked with the Gunners, is well proven in the Premier League and largely considered to be one of the better centre-backs outside of the top four.
The 26 year-old may not be the most gifted defender technically, but he’s an undisputed master of the nuts and bolts of the trade – tackles, headers, interceptions and clearances – and is blessed with the awkward, gangly and physical frame of a modern Martin Keown.
The New Zealand skipper would have offered a new sense of grittiness to the Gunners’ backline and with his contract expiring at the end of the campaign, the potential was there to poach him from Upton Park in a cut-price deal.
Wenger opted for Paulista however, despite being fairly public about his interest in Reid – perhaps suggesting some truth in the rumour that he’s already agreed to join Tottenham in the summer on a free transfer.
CENTRE-BACK – LAURENT KOSCIELNY
Laurent Koscielny has emerged as one of the top centre-backs in the Premier League over the last few seasons and continued to improve it this year, despite some worrying injury problems.
The France international has averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles, 3.7 interceptions and 2.5 successful aerial duels per match this term. Rather tellingly, the Gunners have kept six clean sheets during his ten Premier League outings this season.
LEFT BACK – TYRONE MINGS
Following his Championship Player of the Month award in September, Arsene Wenger soon admitted that Ipswich Town left-back Tyrone Mings was one of the targets on his radar.
The 21 year-old has certainly been in impressive form this season, grabbing three assists in 23 second tier outings whilst averaging 2.3 tackles, 2.6 interceptions, one successful dribble and 1.2 chances created per match.
What stands out most about Mings however is his obvious potential, despite being yet to represent England at junior level. He’s an ambitious, marauding and speedy full-back, but also blessed with the imposing 6 foot 5 physique of a Premier League centre-half; in other words, he’s a prospect that could be moulded into virtually anything by the Gunners coaching staff.
An £8million fee was quoted by the press, but now in the latter half of a surprise promotion bid, Tractor Boys manager Mick McCarthy made it clear that the former Southampton trainee wasn’t for sale.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – WILLIAM CARVALHO
With Sporting Lisbon restructuring all their third-party ownership agreements to ensure full profits from any future sales, coveted midfield prodigy William Carvalho was certainly there for the taking last month.
Despite the emergence of Francis Coquelin in recent weeks, the Gunners’ engine room still lacks that imperious physical presence that can compete with the likes of Yaya Toure and Nemanja Matic; measuring in at 6 foot 2, weighing around 14 stone and famed for his simple-yet-effective, imposing style of play-breaking, the Portugal international could have been the perfect remedy.
It’s claimed Arsenal had a bid for the 22 year-old knocked back on summer deadline day, so many assumed they’d return for him when the transfer window reopened. The Metro even claimed they were intent on finalising a £25million deal.
Unfortunately however, the bid never went on the table – or at least, news of it never hit the press – and Arsenal’s midfield remains without a monolithic influence for the remainder of the campaign.
Central Midfield – Moussa Sissoko
Another physical, although somewhat more progressive, midfielder linked to the Gunners last month came in the form of Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko.
The France international has produced some convincing displays this season, particularly against the Premier League’s big boys as an industrious counter-attacking threat just in front of the midfield, following on from his impressive six-assist haul last term.
Speculation regarding a move to the Emirates hit it’s maxim when the 25 year-old revealed on French television that he’s a lifelong Arsenal fan and wants to be playing Champions League football.
But the previously alleged £15million bid as the Gunners suffered several injures in central midfield, never took place.
RIGHT WING – MESUT OZIL
Not a position the majority of Arsenal fans would like to see club record singing Mesut Ozil in; the £42million man’s Gunners career has been plagued by Arsene Wenger’s insistence upon fielding him on the right hand side.
But needs must, and for this starting Xi the German international is filling in. With his World Cup hangover and injury problems hopefully overcome, we could see the Real Madrid star finally live up to his billing in the second half of the season after scoring against Aston Villa last weekend.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD – KEVIN DE BRUYNE
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Despite Arsenal’s overload in attacking midfield, the tabloids linked them to another this January – former Chelsea youngster Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgium international struggled to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, managing just three Premier League appearances in two years despite a very productive loan spell with Werder Bremen, where he picked up the Bundesliga’s Young Player of the Year award.
He returned to the German top flight last January, this time with Wolfsburg, and has since gone on to produce some incredible form. This season, for example, he’s notched up six goals and eleven assists in just 18 Bundesliga outings – the latter statistic being almost double of any other player in the division.
A £25million fee was mooted as Manchester United and Manchester City were listed as fellow potential suitors, but The Express reported on deadline day that the 23 year-old playmaker had snubbed Premier League interest to say on at the Volkswagon Arena.
LEFT WING – ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Head and shoulders above the rest of the Emirates roster in terms of performances this season, no matter who Arsenal could have signed in January, Alexis Sanchez’ place in the starting Xi would never have come under any serious threat.
Indeed, the Chile international has bagged twelve goals and seven assists in 21 Premier League appearances, in addition to netting thrice in the Champions League, since his arrival from Barcelona in the summer, and the Gunners appear to have landed a real bargain in their £35million acquisition.
STRIKER – EDINSON CAVANI
Although Olivier Giroud has enjoyed some impressive form of late, Arsenal’s strike-force still lacks that star-studded world-class figure who can become talismanic for the north Londoners in the final third.
Speculation in January, however, suggested they were considering a move for Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who blends his powerful, athletic and combative 6 foot 2 frame with a prolific supply of goals, bagging 39 in 66 for PSG and 104 in 138 for former club Napoli.
He appears to be on his way out at Parc de Princes too, having fallen afoul of Laurent Blanc after receiving a three-match internal ban for missing the club’s winter training camp.
Some even alleged the Gunners were resultantly plotting a club-record £50million bid, which unsurprisingly failed to materialise. Other reports however, claim Arsenal will return for Cavani in the summer.
Liverpool’s star man Raheem Sterling has proved yet again this season just how vital he is to the Merseyside club.
With the Reds building up some serious momentum to gatecrash the top four party, as well as looking for FA Cup glory, could Sterling be the catalyst for another memorable season at Anfield?
With contract talks still ongoing, the Mirror has recently reported that he’s dropped the biggest hint yet that he will be staying on Merseyside. Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s heartbreaking Europa League penalty shootout defeat to Besiktas, Sterling said: “It is not a distraction to me, I am concentrating on winning games for Liverpool and hopefully it will be done soon.”
He added: “I speak to my representative every day and he has just told me to concentrate on playing football, and him and the club will deal with it. I am happy playing football and I am focused on trying to do my best for this football club.”
The 20-year-old has once again proved how important he is to Brendan Rodgers team this term. Sterling has played an astonishing 44 times for club and country this season, and has found the net on ten occasions. The Jamaican-born England international has seemingly overnight turned himself into one of the world’s best wingers. The ex-QPR youth prodigy has already stacked up over 100 appearances for Liverpool, and the Anfield faithful will be hoping that he’s around for a lot longer yet.
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Rodgers’ side, who have had an indifferent Premier League campaign thus far, have really started to gain some real momentum at just the right time. The Reds are currently on a ten-game unbeaten streak in the league, and as a consequence of their fine run of results, they now find themselves up to sixth in the table, just two point off of a Champions League spot.
Sterling has played in 24 of Liverpool’s 26 Premier League games this season, and has been as effective as ever. The way the youngster plays, makes you wonder how on earth he can play so many times without suffering many injuries. He has a remarkable engine that never seems to run out of power, and his energetic displays make him a priceless asset to Liverpool.
The fact that he played 120 minutes of football in Turkey on Thursday night, after being so influential in the 90 minutes he played at St Mary’s on Sunday, speaks volumes of his outstanding fitness and confidence.
With Liverpool legend and skipper Steven Gerrard leaving the club at the end of the season, the Reds can’t afford a player of Sterling’s calibre to follow suit. And with the greatest respect to Gerrard, Sterling would be more of a loss to Liverpool, due to the uniqueness of the job he does for the team.
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Players like Raheem Sterling don’t come around too often – that’s why it’s imperative for Liverpool that he stays at Anfield in the summer. But for now, Sterling’s full focus should be on helping his side gain a top four place, and securing a first FA Cup trophy since 2006.
Danny Murphy believes Raheem Sterling will leave Liverpool this summer and has called on his former club to spend the money they will receive from his sale wisely following the £100m splurge after Luis Suarez left last year.
The 20-year-old has been stalling on contract negotiations for some time and has revealed that he will not be discussing an extension with the Anfield giants until this summer, at which time he’ll be entering the final two years of his deal.
The likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid have been alerted by the situation, and with Liverpool having qualified for the Champions League just once since 2009, Sterling’s chances of silverware appear to be greater away from Merseyside.
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The situation is similar in some regards to that of Suarez last summer, who left the club to sign for Barcelona in a £75m deal.
Brendan Rodgers’ side invested over £100m in fresh players, and with, arguably, Emre Can proving to be the only success story, their business has widely been panned.
Murphy believes that his old side may find it impossible to keep Sterling, but has urged them to invest wisely if they do indeed sell:
“I’m in the camp of thinking Raheem Sterling might be off,” he told talkSPORT. “That would be a huge negative. The club then has to use that money to bring in more players, but are the people in charge of recruitment doing the job well enough? I would question that.
“I know Brendan has said that he does have a say on the players and he is involved in the process. I hope he is because ultimately he’s the one being judged on them. The signings haven’t been brilliant.
“Brendan [Rodgers] is there for the long haul. He’s moved the club forward. Some of the problems this year were out of his hands.
“He couldn’t have predicted what Luis Suarez was going to do in the World Cup, meaning he had to revamp his squad.
“Daniel Sturridge has had some horrendous injuries this year. What you could question is some of the recruitment at Liverpool.
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“Have the signings worked? £19m on Lazar Markovic, yes he’s talented but has he’s not produced yet. Rickie Lambert hasn’t played enough, Fabio Borini was £10m. Mario Balotelli was £16m, he’s not worked. Dejan Lovren, who cost £20m, has hardly played. Is £18m Mamadou Sakho the answer? That’s where I would put the question mark.”
The two Merseyside clubs are constantly trying to find new ways in which they can beat each other.
This season, while Liverpool haven’t quite had the impact in the Premier League that they had hoped for, the fans of Anfield can at least be happy they could say they have beaten there closest rivals in the table standings. The teams could not be separated in the two Merseyside derbies – both ending in draws – but before Liverpool can start claiming bragging rights over those at Goodison Park there is one statistic which may make them sit back down.
The Daily Mirror reported that Everton’s defenders are better at scoring goals than Liverpool’s attackers but the comparison does not stop there.
Phil Jagielka, Seamus Coleman, Leighton Baines and John Stones have all scored more goals that Mario Balotelli, Daniel Sturridge, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini. In total the Toffees defenders have scored nine Premier League goals compared to the Red’s eight. Coleman and Jagielka have both scored more (three goals each) goals than all Liverpool’s attack force expect Sturridge who has managed to get the ball in the back of the net four times.
20-year-old John Stones scored his first goal for Everton in the 3-0 win over Mnachester United last week. Martinez loves to get his defenders to attack and it shows but if you look at previous seasons then nine goals is actually poor for them which shows just how bad Liverpool’s attack force has been this campaign. In the 2013-14 season three of Everton’s back current back four scored 14 goals between them.
Obviously these statistics do not include the central striker at Anfield, Raheem Stirling but even he has only scored seven goals but when you look at other statistics from across the season “goals scored” is not the only area in which Everton’s defenders are better. All four of the Toffee’s back line have at least a 10% better pass success rate than Liverpool- including star man Raheem Sterling and while they all have relatively fewer shots per game by nearly 3% it is clear that when the one of the defensive team does have a shot it is more likely to have an impact than when one of the Red’s attackers does. Ball control has become highly important in the game as it progresses and becomes quicker and sharper. Over the season the highest “bad control per game” statistic for Everton’s defenders is for Seamus Coleman on 1.1% compared to Raheem Sterling who has a 2.1% bad touch ratio per game. That’s an average of two touches per game which has cost Liverpool this season.
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When the Daily Mirror article broke many Liverpool fan’s disputed it for not including their main striker but when you look at the rest of the statistics from the campaign and include Sterling it shows even clearer that while Everton haven’t had the successful season they were hoping for they can take some comfort in the fact that there defenders are most definitely better than Liverpool’s front team.