Jurgen Klopp has rotated his squad to much better effect this season than he did last time around and that has helped ensure that Liverpool are now in the Champions League final, where they will face Real Madrid on 26 May looking to deny the Spanish giants their third straight European crown.
The flip side of the German’s attempts to keep his squad fresh for their endeavours deep into Europe’s elite competition have seen their Premier League form tail off to the extent that they need to get a draw from their final game of the season, against Brighton on Sunday, to be sure of their spot in the same tournament next season.
That provides Klopp with a conundrum he would rather not have faced; rest his stars for the final, but risk dropping out of the top four or go all out but take one final risk on the fitness of the key players in his already injury-ravaged squad?
[ad_pod ]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
That’s why we’re asking you what you would do in the German’s position. There is risk either way, so let us know by voting in the poll below and keep your eyes peeled for the results ahead of kick-off at Anfield on Sunday…
Liverpool have announced that they’ve agreed a deal to sign Southampton’s Dutch defender, Virgil van Dijk. The 26-year-old has been a transfer target for Jurgen Klopp for over six months.The deal will be completed on the 1st of January when the transfer window reopens.
What’s the story?
Liverpool have finally agreed a deal to sign Virgil van Dijk for a reported fee of £75m. The club have been pursuing the experienced defender for a considerable period, and they even had to apologise for their pursuit of the former Celtic defender in the summer.
However, at long last, the Reds have secured their target, and Van Dijk will be allocated the number four shirt at Liverpool once his transfer is completed.
Do they need him?
Jurgen Klopp’s need for defensive reinforcement has been no secret. Currently, the Reds flaunt one of the most dynamic and explosive attacks in Europe. Nonetheless, their defence is dreadful in comparison and it was inevitable that there would be adequate signings to address that in the summer.
The Reds have conceded 23 goals in the space of only 20 league games, which is frankly embarrassing for one of the division’s most prominent teams.
Virgil van Dijk is highly regarded for his abilities on and off the ball. In the mould of the modern centre-half, the Dutchman is comfortable with the ball at his feet, yet his most striking qualities are to be found in his defensive work. The 26-year-old can dominate proceedings in the air, and he’s regarded for his fierce tackling. Liverpool fans will hope that he can produce his best in the iconic red shirt.
Is he worth the money?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With a cost of £75m, there is considerable expectation placed on Van Dijk’s shoulders to perform at a high level on a consistent basis. This is a world-record fee for a defender; he must be prepared to deliver.
Aston Villa will reportedly offer Shay Given £5m to write-off the remainder of his contract and also look to sell Charles N’Zogbia.
The 37-year-old former Republic of Ireland veteran goalkeeper still has three years remaining on a £60,000-a-week contract he signed when former Villa boss Alex McLeish snapped him up from Manchester City in summer 2011.
However, with Brad Guzan now firmly established as current boss Paul Lambert’s first-choice custodian at Villa Park, the club are looking to get him off the books and will pay him a handsome figure to part ways.
In a further lowering of the wage bill, France international winger N’Zogbia is also poised to depart with ambitious French side Monaco ready to take him to his homeland this summer following their promotion to Ligue 1.
The former Wigan and Newcastle man cost Villa £9million in 2011 and the club are set to try and recoup at least half that fee while also getting his salary off the wage bill.
As we reported previously, veteran central defender Richard Dunne is leaving at the end of his contract having missed all of the past season because of a groin problem, while record signing Darren Bent and Alan Hutton are both likely to depart too.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Arsenal’s new playmaker Santi Carzola, has urged the club to spend the money brought in from Robin Van Persie and Alex Song’s departures on new players.
The former Malaga man was extremely influential in the Gunner’s frustrating stalemate with Sunderland, offering the London club spark and creativity in an otherwise abject performance.
Speaking to The Mirror the Spaniard said, “It’s clear Van Persie is a great player and we would all have preferred it if he had stayed.
“Song has gone as well but there is still ten days left in the transfer market. I do not know if we will sign anyone but obviously it’s really important to replace players like that because they were so important to the team.”
Manager, Arsene Wenger, has admitted that Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud were brought in with an expectation that Van Persie would leave, Arsenal have also already spent £30 million on transfers.
With Song’s departure, defensively Wenger’s men are even more vulnerable. Despite the Cameroon international sitting in front of the back four last year, Arsenal were often exposed, shipping 49 league goals.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin is a target on loan, while Arsenal have also been linked with ball-winning Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila, all summer.
Jose Mourinho rang the changes for Manchester United’s trip to West Ham and a rare beneficiary was Luke Shaw, who was fielded at left-wing-back against the Hammers.
On another tedious night for United, the man valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt was a bright spot, coming closest to scoring when his lashed shot was diverted onto the post by the foot of Adrian and remaining solid throughout.
The game looked set to peter out before Paul Pogba and Mark Noble squared up to each other and the fact it was Shaw who was the first on the scene to help out his outnumbered team-mates went down well with the Reds fans.
For a player who has been criticised by Mourinho at times this season, the former Southampton man showed impressive commitment and willingness to fight for the shirt and for his team-mates.
That kind of attitude will always impress the fans and we’ve taken a closer look at the most impassioned of the responses…
He’s been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons of late, and although his on-pitch form is getting better, it appears the headlines are still leading with trivia.
Since his disappointing Manchester derby, and the goalless drought he suffered in the past few weeks, Romelu Lukaku now has two goals in two goals in two Premier League games, and three goals in his last four in all competitions. And yet those last two strikes have been greeted with incredulity at the Belgian striker’s lack of celebrations rather than any actual analysis of his return to something approaching good form.
This weekend’s performance against West Brom should be lauded for more than just his muted fist pump reaction to what was a very good header.
Lukaku’s display was more than just his goal, though. It was a master class in effective forward play, certainly one from a Jose Mourinho striker.
The United forward competed in six aerial duels, including in both boxes, as he successfully won every header he went up for – which is an impressive stat in any game, but against a West Brom team who probably haven’t yet made the transition away from being a ‘Tony Pulis’ side, that’s quite the feat.
As United sat deep – too deep, perhaps, by the end when the Baggies began to find confidence and belief – Lukaku’s chances to make an impact became more limited, but he did manage to complete three dribbles. Although his tally of 19 completed passes is low – Gareth Barry managed 31 in just 45 minutes of football – he did manage to play a key pass, too.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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 wasn’t the most complete display you’ll ever see from Lukaku, but it was a hugely effective one on a day that turned out to be more of a struggle for Manchester United than you might have expected when the half-time whistle blew. And instead of focusing on his celebrations or lack thereof, perhaps we should be praising the Belgian striker for rolling his sleeves up and reveling in the dirty work for his team when it mattered.
Last week, I was surprised to hear that Tony Fernandes had turned on former QPR boss Neil Warnock, making him a scapegoat for the West Londoners’ woes, as reported by a number of newspapers including The Express. Despite the fact the Yorkshireman lead the club to the promised land of the Premier League and was sacked by Fernandes nearly 18 months ago, the Rangers Chairman has accused Warnock’s signings as being the underlying factor behind the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Fernandes responded in his usual manner, via his twitter account, by denying that he had made the allegations against his former manager, but whether it is a case of a hyperbolic newspaper story getting out of hand or not, the Malaysian-born business man has certainly been playing the blame-game at Loftus road in the days since their fate was decided following a 0-0 draw with Reading, which summed up both club’s poor seasons.
[cat_link cat=”queens-park-rangers” type=”tower”]
But rather than pinning the club’s relegation on the players, managers past and present or even QPR’s apparent lack of infrastructure, I’d suggest Fernandes starts looking closer to home when searching for an answer to Rangers’ failings. The fact is, money is the root of all evil, and Fernandes has overseen the club’s funds splashed around willy-nilly since their ascension to the English top flight two years ago.
Fernandes cited in his criticism of Warnock the free and inward transfers of Luke Young, Armand Traore, Anton Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton during the last week of August 2011, but considering only Wright-Phillips has made over 50 appearances for the club in the space of two years, with Young and Barton not even featuring this season, it seems a rather ridiculous notion to blame QPR’s pathetically poor campaign on these five individuals.
Similarly, it is hardly comparative as to what happened afterwards in regards to mistakes in the transfer market. The appointment of Mark Hughes saw the immediate acquisition of Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora – two forwards who’ve come up especially short this year, with the former being loaned out in January by Harry Redknapp – followed by bringing in an essentially entirely new starting XI in the summer following QPR’s Premier League survival. Hughes and Fernandes brought in Park Ji-Sung, Esteban Granero, Ryan Nelson, Fabio, Julio Cesar, Robert Green, Andy Johnson, Jose Bosingwa, Junior Hoilett, Samba Diakite and Stephane M’Bia in the same transfer window, all on excessive wage packages.
Surely the wholesale changes, in which Fernandes played a key role in making happen, considering Hughes’ knowledge of a number of these signings, including M’Bia and Cesar, appeared to be non-existent, are more to blame for QPR’s relegation than the handful of Warnock purchases that have spent this year on the most part dwindling in the development squad. Before the inflated cast of new recruits even had time to settle, they already found themselves at the foot of the Premier League table, and it was clear to see that a lack of confidence, co-ordination and familiarity was making the daunting task even harder.
Furthermore, Harry Redknapp recently revealed that upon his arrival, he noticed the formation of awkward cliques in the dressing room, between those purchased during Warnock’s tenure with those brought in during the summer, being granted bigger pay checks and seemingly stepping into first team places at the expense of players who had steered QPR clear of relegation just a matter of months prior.
Not only did it smack of disloyalty from the boardroom to the players, which was no doubt a huge demotivation for those already at the club, but furthermore, Fernandes oversaw the purchase of a group of Premier League mercenaries. It does not take a footballing genius to work out that Jose Bosingwa, a player accused of lacking the right attitude when challenging for Premier League titles and Champions League trophies, will have a rather lackadaisical approach when it comes to a relegation battle.
I have a similar view regarding a lack of motivation for players like Granero, Park and M’Bia, who’ve all had to settle for moving to a middle-order club after playing for European powerhouses and contributing heavily to lifting domestic and continental silverware. A relegation battle is not what they’d signed up for – the party line was that everyone at Loftus Road expected a top half finish – and upon finding themselves amid one, they did not have the right temperament to perform.
But I am afraid that is all you get when your sole motivation for players is money. Excluding the likes of Clint Hill, Shaun Derry and Adel Taraabt, none of the QPR roster have even spent enough time at Rangers to forge a meaningful bond with the club itself or the fans. Why should a group of players, the majority of whom have entered the tail-end of their careers and taken a step down to move to Loftus road, care about the relegation of a club they’ve been at for just a matter of months – especially when they are all sitting pretty on bumper contracts that exceed the market’s norm.
Of course, they will be concerned at a superficial level, as no professional footballer enjoys the experience of playing badly or the prospect of their reputation being damaged, but it is still some way short of the attitude required to come out on top in a relegation scrap – the kind of all-or-nothing, fight to the end, all for one and one for all, mentality that can be witnessed week-in-week-out at Wigan, Norwich and even Reading.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Just as money got QPR into their mess of being hopelessly adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table, it was soon judged as the only solution to get them out of it, working as a justification for current manager Harry Redknapp to bring in even more expensive signings in January, in the form of Christopher Samba and Loic Remy.
They may have been two of QPR’s better performers in the latter half of the season, and indeed the club’s poor form had Redknapp’s hands tied in regards to the need to bring in new recruits, but it is clear from the get-go that both would not see out the full tenure of their contracts should QPR fail to beat the drop. More than anything, it was an opportunity for both players, who were both searching for new homes in the January transfer window, to showcase their abilities to other Premier League clubs and prove their quality in the English top flight, in the mean time picking up a wage package of 75k per week in Remy’s case, and 100k per week in Samba’s case.
At the heart of the catastrophic car-crash which has been QPR’s attempt to become a Premier League club has been the money. It has been the replacement for any sense of infrastructure, natural progress or long-term planning, and it has cost the club two managers, a relegation, a wage bill which has doubled in the space of two years and a now tarnished reputation.
The transfer market will always be the quickest vehicle for change and progress, but the manner in which Fernandes has viewed it, as a quick fix to becoming a top half club and apparent European contenders, was greedy, chaotic, naive and destructive. Money became the solution to every problem, thrown at every player who’d shown a fleeting interest in moving to Loftus Road, but the large wage packages corrupted the professional integrity of the players, and in turn, the soul of the club itself. Money is the root of all evil, and Tony Fernandes been the wallet at Loftus Road.
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has claimed that no club has shown an interest in striker Darren Bent and that the pair have not had a falling out.
Bent has been left out of the past few Villa starting line ups and his future has been widely speculated this week with the January transfer window around the corner.
After a big money move from Sunderland in 2011, Bent has failed to really set Villa Park alight and Lambert has favoured youngster Andreas Weimann and new signing Christian Benteke to lead the line with Gabby Agbonlahor also in front of Bent in the pecking order.
A player of Bent’s goalscoring record may attract plenty of attention if he becomes available in the transfer window and while Lambert claims that he has not had an argument with the player, it is clear that the England striker is not in his plans at the moment.
“Darren was on the bench last week. We’ve not had a cross word at all,” Lambert told Sky Sports.
“Has there been any interest in Bent? None.
“Are you adamant you want to sell? Listen. My job is to pick a group of lads I think will win the game and that’s my main focus, not any other deviation of anything else.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Laurent Koscielny suffered a devastating blow on Thursday during what was a disappointing night all round for Arsenal.
The defender seriously damaged his Achilles during the first half of the Gunners’ Europa League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.
The France international, who has 51 caps for his country, winced in pain on the floor and was eventually stretchered off the pitch just 12 minutes into the game.
Replays showed that the aggravation to his Achilles did not come from a challenge as he was nowhere near another player nor the ball when it happened.
After the match, manager Arsene Wenger told reporters that the condition of Koscielny’s injury did “not look good”, and there have been widespread suggestions that the defender will miss the World Cup in Russia.
At the age of 32, the centre-back may face a struggle to force his way back into the team when fitness is regained.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Plenty of Arsenal fans expressed sympathy and sent their well-wishes to Koscielny via social media, while others were less supportive and urged for the defender to be sold.
2014/15 has certainly been a somewhat surprising campaign for those following Southampton.. The summer exodus at St. Mary’s really didn’t bode too well for the club throughout the rest of the year, but as Ronald Koeman came in and did a fantastic job for his side in the Premier League, such initial worries have seemingly been dropped for now.
The new names drafted in at Southampton last summer turned out to be a series of good investments for the club. The likes of Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Ryan Bertrand all done the business for their new side last season, whilst more familiar faces – in the form of Morgan Schneiderlin and Jose Fonte – proved more than worthy of their lofty status down at St. Mary’s with their consistency out on the pitch.
There is one particular Southampton star that arguably caught the attention more than any other player on the South Coast across 2014/15 however – and that man is 24-year-old, Nathaniel Clyne.
In having such a strong season and capturing the attention of the England national set-up this term, the former Crystal Palace favourite has subsequently been linked with a series of potential moves throughout the summer, with Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool being one of many outfits looking the acquire the full-back’s services in the run up to the new campaign.
In light of such a notion then, should the promising England international begin waving his good-byes at St. Mary’s with a view to join Liverpool this summer, or will this potential transfer only serve to damage Nathaniel Clyne’s career in the not too distant future?
Well for one thing, those who suggest that the Saints no. 2 would be capable of holding down the right-back spot at Anfield next season certainly aren’t wrong. Based on his impressive performances this term, Clyne could most definitely add to this current Reds squad and help them improve on their rather disappointing recent Premier League form.
He has been a truly reliable asset for Southampton in recent seasons, and at the still promising age of only 24-years-old, the current St. Mary’s favourite is likely only going to get better.
[ffc-gal cat=”liverpool” no=”5″]
When it comes to making bustling runs up and down the flanks for the whole 90 minutes, beating players on the wing with impressive consistency, and also proving able to send in the crosses at a frequent rate – there have arguably been none better than the Southampton no. 2 this past season.
The quick-footed full-back has been everywhere for his side this term – and with such a well-rounded asset on board for Ronald Koeman in recent months – it comes as no surprise that the Saints have surpassed many expectations throughout the 2014/15 campaign.
Although Anfield would certainly be a great place for someone like Nathaniel Clyne to home in his skills and become even more of a high profile player, why would the former Selhurst Park star consider leaving St. Mary’s when things are currently going so well for him? Every football fan in this country knows full well the potential on offer from Clyne in the next few seasons, so any potential move to Liverpool this summer would only serve to gamble away the reputation he has already earned.
The Reds have unfortunately been notorious for turning would-be promising stars into somewhat flat prospects in recent years – just look at how poorly their transfer activity last summer turned out for them across the 2014/15 season. The club are in a bit of an uncertain period in their history at the moment, for nobody at Anfield seems to know which direction the team are currently heading in.
With Southampton clearly looking like a side on the up based on their recent successes, Nathaniel Clyne would be simply mad to move on from his current employers on the back of such a gamble. The likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have already served to prove how precarious these transfers can be, with each player subsequently paying witness to a rather forgetful campaign at Liverpool this season.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
No, recent history simply acts as a strong warning for any up and coming Southampton star looking to improve on their fortunes elsewhere. Nathaniel Clyne looks like he could be a really good player in the next few years – but if he eventually decides that Anfield is the best place for him to ply his trade next season – we could ultimately be forgetting his name almost as soon as he first burst onto the scene.
And that is something no one really wants to see happen, Southampton fan or not.