Some footballers appear to have it all. The ability to pass, shoot, and tackle are paramount, but those who possess the mental qualities alongside those prove to be the top players.
The will to win, the commitment, the drive and the passion are also crucial. A willingness to die for the cause. Each club will immediately have a player who displays all those qualities that will spring to mind.
Perhaps Wayne Rooney at Manchester United, who’s passion and desire to win is second to none.
Chelsea fans will point to their captain John Terry, who’s leadership skills on the pitch has never been questioned during his long career.
While Liverpool will point to Steven Gerrard, a man who has almost single handedly won matches for his team so many times, and been the main man behind the trophies won.
All of these men have shown incredible passion, loyalty, hunger and desire to win.
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But what would you say is the most important trait you look for in a footballer?
Everton fans are calling for Seamus Coleman to be made captain, after the Irishman spoke out about the club’s troubles in recent times.
Not too long ago, top six clubs feared playing Everton, as the Toffees were the one team outside the “big six” that could really go toe to toe with the league’s best, especially at Goodison Park.
The Blues seem to have lost some of that spark in recent times though, and this season saw the end of two managers at Goodison.
Marco Silva was appointed earlier this week, and fans are hopeful the arrival of the Portuguese tactician alongside new director of football Marcel Brands can usher in a new era at Everton.
Seamus Coleman is one player who has never let his form drop, and he has been speaking about the Toffees while on international duty with Ireland, stressing that the players must take more responsibility for their performances.
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“It’s about time us players step up to the plate. We’ve not been close to winning anything for a long time,” the 29 year-old said.
“That’s what we want, that’s what I want. If I leave without having won anything I’ll be very disappointed.”
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It is exactly this kind of attitude that has forged a special connection between the fans and their flying full back, and they’re calling for him to take the armband next season.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
According to reports in the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with midfielder Dele Alli over a new lucrative £100,000-a-week contract.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Mail says that Spurs have started informal discussions with the 21-year-old attacking midfielder over a new deal as they look to end growing speculation over his future, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among his admirers.
The Daily Mail says that the former MK Dons man is currently on a deal worth around £50,000-a-week, but the north London outfit are keen to double that and quickly get the new contract across the line quickly.
The report adds that Tottenham believe there is a desire from both parties to agree to an extension, with the club’s progress in reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League making up for a disappointing Premier League campaign so far compared to the last two seasons.
How has Alli done this season?
He certainly hasn’t made as much of an impact as he did during the previous campaign, but he has still done well.
The England international set such high standards for himself with his tally of 22 goals and 13 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions last term, and he has often come under criticism from some of the club’s supporters when he has struggled to replicate that this season.
The 21-year-old has still netted nine goals and provided a further 10 assists in 27 outings for Spurs this time out though, and he is certainly starting to find his form again in the Premier League with two goals and four assists in his last four top flight matches.
How much of a boost is this for Tottenham?
It will be a huge boost for Mauricio Pochettino and the fans.
Spurs know that they need to keep their best players if they are to progress and continue to challenge for trophies, and there is no doubt that Alli can be a key player in helping them to do that.
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The 21-year-old can score and assist from an attacking midfield role, and the fact that they can tie him down to a new deal that won’t break their strict wage cap will certainly be a relief.
In an interview with MUTV, Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he should never have let Dutch defensive rock Jaap Stam leave Old Trafford.
Stam was sold to Lazio under ambiguous circumstances in 2001, and a popular misconception of the affair is that Ferguson disposed of Stam due to a few damaging revelations exposed by the centre-half in his autobiography.
The truth is, Fergie had been crunching the numbers and concluded that his defensive focal point was not the same player since he came back from an achilles injury.
“When I think of disappointments, obviously Jaap Stam was always a disappointment to me, I made a bad decision there,” the Scot said.
Stam later wrote about the day he agreed to leave Manchester in another autobiography, emphasising his regret in letting it happen so easily.
“One quick conversation in my car at a petrol station in Manchester was enough for me to leave that big club,” Stam said.
“When I think about it now, and I have never talked about it before, I find it unbelievable I let that, as a player, happen to me.”
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Fergie is releasing his much anticipated book today, My Autobiography. As well as shedding more light on the Stam-incident, it is expected to reveal details on Roy Keane’s departure, David Beckham and the flying boot affair, and perhaps even explain the signing of Portuguese flop Bebe.
The new season is barely a month old, and already the likes of Hugo Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Marouane Fellaini have all spoke about their employers in unflattering terms.
Newcastle’s Senegalese striker Ba is the latest to come out and publicly express his unhappiness, much to the annoyance of his manager Alan Pardew.
Ba explained on Monday night how he was ‘not so happy’ with how things have been going for him of late, with his agent declaring if things did not improve for his client they would ‘be looking for other solutions.’
The comments from the above mentioned players have drawn angry responses from managers and supporters, but sadly they should not be surprised.
Lloris, Sagna and Fellaini all made their comments during the International break, a time that is no longer just seen as a opportunity to represent your country, but to voice concerns about your club and engineer moves by the means of your native press.
Foreign players appear to feel more comfortable conversing with the press in their native tounge, rather than with the UK media. How often is it the case that comments are made which are claimed to be ‘lost in translation?’
The vast majority of player outbursts come at a time when they can avoid immediate confrontation, and have the protection of their International teammates and management.
The players involved are all aware of what they are doing, and voicing their concerns is often a calculated process. They will also be aware their comments are more likely to be heard, with journalists needing to fill collumn inches during an international break .
Demba Ba was in a position of power the moment he made his comments, having come off the bench to score twice at Goodison Park.
With the fans singing his name, Ba saw this as the ideal time to give his opinion on why things have not been so perfect for him at the Sports Direct Arena of late.
It puts Pardew in an awkward and uncomfortable position, admitting he “can’t keep everyone in the squad happy.” With Ba doing his job on the pitch, it makes it all the more difficult for Pardew to discipline him for his comments.
Player power is a force that has been growing and developing season upon season, and one that is without doubt here to stay. As more money has been bought into the game, players are made millionaires by their clubs within a couple of years, and know if they perform well have the power to demand more.
It is all well and good to say footballers should put up or shut up, but that is not ever going to be the case. Young, ambitious, millionaires with an ego are not going to stay quiet if things are not perfect for them, especially if they know their worth to the team.
With comments like these unhelpful and distracting, the question remains as to what can managers do to avoid these situations?
Unless you are Sir Alex Ferguson, who holds such power and authority the answer is not so much.
If you are David Moyes or Alan Pardew, do you want to discipline the likes of Fellaini and Ba and risk losing a key player to your squad?
The old ethos of no one player is bigger than the team remains true, and it would be great to see the players have the book thrown at them by their managers.
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Whether this happens remains to be seen, but sadly with player power at an all time high, you feel it will not be the case.
Liverpool fans have not made a single summer signing yet, but the fans are already full of praise for the club’s sporting director Michael Edwards.
In November 2016, the Reds promoted Southampton-born Edwards to the newly-formed position at Anfield.
He first joined Liverpool in 2011 as head of performance and analysis before becoming technical director.
Edwards was also part of the transfer committee, and has since played a hand in the arrivals of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Virgil van Dijk.
In the last few weeks and months, Liverpool have been linked to numerous stars, but nothing concrete has come to light as yet.
Supporters certainly have a buzz around them at the moment as they prepare for the Champions League final on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will take on Real Madrid in Kiev in the hope of claiming the club’s sixth European crown.
So, it is understandable that Liverpool fans are in a positive mood, and that has certainly spread on Reddit, with some giving a special mention to the club’s sporting director.
Signing of the century from r/LiverpoolFC
Card
Card
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According to Sky Sports, Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who is rated at €10m (approximately £8.8m according to Transfermarkt), is one of the players being considered by West Ham United manager David Moyes this month as he looks to strengthen his side’s attacking options during the January transfer window.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Sky Sports says that Moyes is targeting Elneny, and his Gunners teammate Francis Coquelin, as potential additions to his squad this month, with a new central midfielder his priority.
Elneny has found first-team opportunities hard to come by this season, although it remains to be seen whether Arsene Wenger will be willing to let the Egypt international leave the Emirates before the window slams shut on January 31.
How has Elneny done this season?
The 25-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular spot in the Arsenal side ever since joining them in January 2016, and that situation hasn’t changed this term.
The Egyptian player has made 16 appearances in all competitions – with the majority of those coming in the Europa League and the domestic cups – although he has only played 264 minutes of Premier League football across five outings.
Elneny has struggled to break past the likes of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the park, and he is possibly the fifth-choice option in that area with Francis Coquelin and Jack Wilshere also looking to be ahead of him in the pecking order.
Would he be a good signing for West Ham?
It’s difficult to say, as we haven’t really seen him play for the Gunners consistently.
Howevr, the 25-year-old has certainly shown that he is a solid enough defensive midfielder at times, while he also has a good shot on him.
According to WhoScored.com, his passing is certainly was one of his main strengths as he has an average accuracy of 92.9% in 11 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League this term, while he has won 13 of the 18 tackles he has attempted.
Will they get him?
According to Sky Sports, Moyes has six names on his shortlist to bring a new central midfielder to the club, so it remains to be seen whether Elneny will rise to the top at any point this month.
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From an Arsenal point of view, Wenger may well be more willing to move on the 25-year-old than teammate Coquelin, which gives the Irons some hope that they could bring him to the London Stadium.
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole looks set to stay at the Stadium of Light after Nottingham Forest saw a loan bid for the midfielder rejected, according to the Daily Mail.
Black Cats manager Paolo Di Canio is said to have had the final say, and decided he wanted to keep the former England Under-21 midfielder at the club.
The Italian is understood to have taken the former captain to one side this week and asked him to buy into his plans for the club.
Sunderland have endured a difficult start to the season, and Di Canio believes Cattermole could be a major help to the cause if he returns to his best form.
Cattermole featured heavily under former managers Steve Bruce and Martin O’Neill, but doubts have been cast over his future on Wearside after the huge influx of players bought in by Di Canio.
However now the Italian has rejected the approach from Billy Davies’ side, it appears Cattermole is set to be given another chance to prove himself at the Stadium of Light.
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The midfielder only managed to make ten Premier League appearances last season after suffering an injury hit campaign.
The news will come as a blow to Nottingham Forest who are still looking to take advantage of the Football League loan window and strengthen their midfield.
Liverpool’s lack of movement in the transfer market on transfer deadline day and reluctance to meet Fulham’s asking price for Clint Dempsey just brought into sharp focus how wrong they had gone in the past. Damien Comolli’s spell at the club will not be remembered in a positive light, and the club are still counting the cost for his ruinous time at Anfield, just as Tottenham did in the past.
Comolli originally moved to Liverpool back in November 2010 as Director of Football Strategy before being promoted in March 2011 to a Director of Football position – his job was to oversee player recruitment and what an absolutely awful job he did of it.
Everyone and their dog knows the litany of barely believable fees forked out for deeply average, technically limited talent at Liverpool under Comolli’s tenure – making Andy Carroll the eighth most expensive player of all-time at £35m still hasn’t quite sunken in, while Stewart Downing, an average midfielder who can’t beat a man was brought in for £20m from Aston Villa and a promising but still raw Jordan Henderson was signed for £16m from Sunderland.
Liverpool’s inability to negotiate a good deal for themselves is well-known around the world now and paying well over the odds has become common practice, but this was off the charts. The bank is empty now for Brendan Rodgers and he’s been forced to reign in spending and trim the club’s hefty wage budget as a result.
The term ‘Moneyball’ is one that’s often floated about with reference to this period of Liverpool history, one which they would most likely want to forget, but it seems that those which use it have a very loose grasp on its meaning. It’s supposed to be linked to buying players cheaply, who perform a certain role in a side very well, and they in turn essentially ‘buy’ wins. This grand expenditure bordering on the negligibly indulgent is nothing like Moneyball and it never was – it was just hastily added because the owners FSG used it at their baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, after copying Billy Beane’s methodology.
Cast your eye around the signings made in that eighteen-month period, and only Luis Suarez is guaranteed of a regular starting spot in the side now, while Jose Enrique and Sebastien Coates remain in contention. Craig Bellamy has since moved on to Cardiff, Charlie Adam has to Stoke, Carroll has been marginalised to such an extent that he was allowed to leave on loan to West Ham, while Downing and Henderson were reportedly seen as little more than bargaining chips in the club’s pursuit of Dempsey.
The sheer amount of money that was wasted is off the charts and exposes the flawed logic of buying players off the back of a good season or decent six-month spell of form. Adam left at nearly half the amount he was bought for just a year on, the club would be lucky to recoup half of what they paid for Carroll, while Downing is now a reserve left-back and Henderson a Europa League back-up player, and they both have practically now sell-on value. The mismanagement was on a huge scale and the club may still take some time to recover.
Whenever analysing Comolli’s history at Tottenham, misty-eyed revisionism always seems to get in the way. While the man himself is quick to point out that he discovered Gareth Bale and take credit for his subsequent success, it’s worth remembering that he was regarded at the time as one of Britain’s top young prospects, so it was hardly the needle in a haystack that it’s often made out to be.
Over that three-year period at White Hart Lane, while he may have helped the club sign Luka Modric, Bale, Berbatov, Corluka and Assou-Ekotto, there was also a huge swathe of rubbish that came into the club such as Chimbonda, Ghaly, Gilberto, Rocha, Hutton and Bentley. This doesn’t even take into account the amount spent on players who have been good elsewhere since but just failed to perform at White Hart Lane like Bent, Prince-Boateng, Dos Santos, Pavlyuchenko, Murphy and Taarabt, while Kaboul was only good after being sold to Portsmouth and being bought back.
He helped the club spend £195m in three years and you could count his roaring successes on one hand, with a number of them failing to live up to expectations or only showing the best of their ability fleetingly. The thought that the club are making the most of Comolli’s successes in the transfer market to this day is dangerously myopic and conveniently one-sided.
Liverpool have had to cut their cloth accordingly and the era of big spending at Anfield is now over as a result, while Daniel Levy at Tottenham is now infamous, much to the chagrin of the club’s fans, for only spending what he has and when he has it, which led to yet another muddled and ultimately disappointing slice of deadline day activity this summer.
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He may have helped Arsenal find the likes of Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue for a pittance, but since then in his next two jobs in England at both Tottenham and especially Liverpool, the sheer amount of money wasted just isn’t worth thinking about and both clubs now operate differently since his departure, which tells you all you need to know about how scattergun his approach was and how successful it was after his departure, and he’d be extremely fortunate to ever work in the Premier League again now given his reputation and penchant for outrageous extravagance.
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?
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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…