Because the howlers from Loris Karius were so bad and so costly, practically everything else about Saturday’s Champions League final aside from Gareth Bale’s wonderful bicycle kick and Mohamed Salah’s first half injury has been quickly forgotten.
That includes the fact Liverpool were actually in this match for quite a long time and arguably looked more likely to score than Real Madrid during the opening periods. Throughout the whole 90 minutes, likewise, there were certainly some Liverpool players who held up their end of the bargain – so below is a belated opportunity to acknowledge them.
Sadio Mane grabbed Liverpool’s only goal of the game by latching onto a knockdown from Dejan Lovren – valued by Transfermarkt at £18million – who was actually pretty solid up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Andrew Robertson finished off a fine debut season at Anfield with another impressive outing, his defining moment being a last-ditch tackle to stop Ronaldo scoring, and James Milner was his usual busy self in midfield, creating the joint-most chances of any player for either side.
So, Liverpool fans, let us know which players impressed you most (and least) against Real Madrid by taking part in the poll below and issuing player ratings for each of those involved in the 3-1 defeat…
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Southampton surrendered a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday as Abdoulaye Doucoure put a last minute equaliser in with his hand, but Saints fans weren’t impressed with Ryan Bertrand’s performance.
The south coast outfit looked to be on their way to their first Premier League win since the end of November following James Ward-Prowse’s brace in the opening 45 minutes, but Andre Gray pulled one back for the hosts soon after the break after Steven Davis was caught in possession.
Mauricio Pellegrino’s men then lost a much-needed three points when left-back Bertrand left Doucoure free at the back post, and he finished past Alex McCarthy with his hand.
Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on the England international’s display via social media, and while one said “Bertrand couldn’t care less”, another agreed and said “Bertrand had an absolute shocker”.
Things aren’t going exactly after plan for AVB at Tottenham at the moment, that’s putting it mildly. Despite heavy spending in the summer, Spurs are far from replacing Welsh wizard Gareth Bale. Right now, the north Londoners resemble a fish on land whose aquired brand new diving equipment. Bar a few encouraging performances from Christian Eriksen before he twisted his ankle on international duty and the odd glance of skill from Paulinho, their signings have contributed less than what Villas-Boas would expect when he and Daniel Levy frantically set about investing the Bale-money.
The win at Craven Cottage on Wednesday provides a pocket of breathing space, but only till they travel to the Stadium of Light this weekend. If they don’t perform against the team at very bottom of the league, even more critical questions will come in AVB’s direction. You can disagree with this, but the fact is a manager who is perceived to be under performing will always be put under heavy pressure in the Premier League. The unforgiving nature of the multimillion industry leaves no room for error.
My issue with AVB at the moment is not related to his disagreements with the press or his critique of the fans. I think Villas-Boas is perfectly entitled to voice his opinion on these matters, and besides, both topics are already receiving massive coverage. What I cannot get to grips with is why, when Tottenham are so blatantly lacking penetration, is the manager repeatedly leaving Mousa Dembélé on the bench?
The issue at White Hart Lane this season is to score goals. AVB’s inverted wingers are not getting along with Roberto Soldado, and whosoever deployed in the hole behind the Spaniard is giving him service Nando’s would shame themselves of. From what I’ve seen of Tottenham this season they are screaming for a bit of power in midfield.
I might have picked the wrong time to have a go at Sandro’s attacking contributions – that top corner strike against Man United on Wednesday was something else – but the Brazilian isn’t your average South American. Unlike his midfield partner Paulinho whose touch can be sweeter than Emma Watson, Sandro enjoy’s the rough side of the game. He used to wear a mouthguard, remember? Going forward, however, he lacks tenacity.
As for Paulinho, the little charmer, he has yet to give Spurs the penetration we expected. For me, Dembélé should be the first name on AVB’s team sheet. There are few players in the premiership who are as naturally strong on the ball as the Belgian. In all seriousness, I can’t remember ever seeing him give it away. He has the sort of presence and brawn you see in Yaya Toure when he’s at his best for Man City.
Even the stats back it up. Mousa Dembélé should be a no-brainer in the Tottenham midfield. Our stat crunching friends at Squawka.com have given him nearly a four times better overall performance score compared to Sandro, and by far the strongest in the Tottenham squad. In fact only Andros Townsend with his rise to stardom this season is anywhere near.
Furthermore, although Paulinho has significantly more minutes to his name, Dembélé outscores his counterpart on chances created – 16 to 14. Anyone who saw the then Fulham player tear Manchester United apart at the start of last season is bound to have fallen in love with the force of his strides when he descends on the opposition’s defence. As i said, I can think of few players in the world who provide the same kind of strength and composure.
In fact, should AVB decide to not go with Dembélé, I see no reason why Man United wouldn’t take him of his hands. A two way player who can apply himself in challenges as well as going forward is exactly what the Red Devils are looking for in January. This is of course only the opinion of a scarcely informed intern at a newly renovated online football site, but I can see no reason why David Moyes shouldn’t consider moving for the Belgian international, given he is available and willing to talk.
The two clubs might not have the best of histories together in terms of transfers, as deals have tendency to draw out into the insufferable, courtesy of businessman Daniel Levy and stubbornness embodied Sir Alex Ferguson, but should Dembélé at any point consider a transfer, I expect United to be monitoring the situation closely.
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Again, I have little other to go by than what I see on the pitch and read in the papers, but that Mousa Dembélé is having to even go close to the benches at White Hart Lane is well and truly beyond me. I realize AVB is trying to build a new team, but I can’t understand why that team should be without one of the most composed players in the premiership.
Who knows, maybe somebody will put some pressure on the Portuguese manager in January by placing a bid, should he choose not to play Dembélé.
Charlie Adam has stated that he wants to end his personal feud with Gareth Bale ahead of the World Cup qualifying match-up between Scotland and Wales.
The Stoke midfielder has been guilty of injuring the Tottenham winger on two separate occasions, with the latest a nasty tackle in a pre-match friendly in the United States.
Despite the animosity between the players, Adam is eager to draw a line under what has happened previously.
“Bale is good, quick but I don’t think they are a one-man team,” Adam is quoted as saying in The Guardian.
“They have a number of players, like we have, who can win the game on their day. Aaron Ramsey is a top player, there is Ashley Williams, and Joe Allen at Liverpool. I wouldn’t just single out Gareth Bale. But he is a top player and if we can stop him it will probably enhance our performance and probably our chances of winning the game.”
Adam believes that he will most likely not come into direct contact with Bale however.
“Nope – because he will not be playing on my side. Whoever plays at right-back or left-back will deal with him. What has happened in the past has happened in the past, the most important thing is playing for Scotland and getting a result,” he concluded.
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West Ham United owner David Sullivan certainly isn’t the most popular figure among the London Stadium faithful after what has happened in recent years, but if he follows up the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as the club’s new manager with some exciting new additions this summer, that situation could quickly change.
The 69-year-old took action and decided that David Moyes shouldn’t stay on with the east London outfit following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, and he certainly delivered what the fans wanted in that instance.
Sullivan certainly hasn’t got many things right during his time at the helm, but appointing a previous Premier League title winner, whom Hammers supporters on Twitter are keen to see link up with £140,000-a-week attacker, and giving him control of who the club recruits is certainly a big step in the right direction.
While the Irons are looking pretty good from an attacking point of view –Pellegrini will hope to convince Javier Hernandez and Manuel Lanzini to stay – more work is needed in midfield and at the back given they had the joint-worst defensive record in the top flight this season.
Here are three signings Sullivan must deliver for Pellegrini this summer to ensure he goes from zero to hero among West Ham supporters…
According to reports in The Sun, West Bromwich Albion centre-back Ahmed Hegazi is available for just £2.5m this summer because of a clause in his contract after the Baggies were relegated from the Premier League, and West Ham should be looking to snap the Egypt international up for that bargain price.
The Irons struggled from a defensive point of view this season and need reinforcements in that area following the departures of Jose Fonte and James Collins in the last few months, and the 27-year-old certainly fits the bill.
First and foremost he has shown with the Baggies that he is a good defender who isn’t afraid to put his body on the line for his team, while he is also strong and decent in the air and now has a year’s experience at this level under his belt.
West Ham have long been linked with a move for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder and seemingly came close to getting him last summer, but it is a deal Sullivan must do this time around.
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble consistently produced below-par performances in the middle of the park for the Irons this season, and it is clear to see that the east London outfit are missing some strength and power in the middle of the park – something Carvalho would deliver.
The Euro 2016 winner would also provide a much-needed barrier in front of a leaky backline, and allow Pellegrini to set up with a more attacking style next term.
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Given he is 35 years of age the potential of addition of the Manchester City legend would likely split West Ham fans, but Sullivan should look to bring him to the London Stadium on a one-year contract.
The Ivory Coast international has shown the quality he has throughout his time in the Premier League, and while he may be getting on a bit and not quite have the athleticism he once did, he is hugely experienced and influential and will have a point to prove that he should still be a regular starter at this level.
The fact that Pellegrini already knows him well and knows what it takes to get the best out of him is just another reason why he must be in an Irons shirt next season.
Watford boss Marco Silva has insisted that in-demand midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure will not be leaving the Hornets in the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
Doucoure joined Watford from Rennes in the summer of 2016, and the midfielder scored once in 20 Premier League appearances during the 2016-17 campaign.
The 24-year-old has taken his form to a new level this season, however, with his all-action performances in the middle of the park leading to suggestions that a number of clubs were considering a move when the January transfer window opens for business.
Watford boss Silva, however, revealed on Friday that ‘nobody will leave the club in the January market’ amid suggestions that his squad could be raided by other clubs.
It has also been claimed that the Hornets are preparing to offer Doucoure a new £70,000-a-week contract in a bid to protect the valuation of a player that could eventually end up at a top-six team.
Which clubs would Doucoure suit?
West Ham United are in the market for a new central midfielder, and there is no question that Doucoure would be an upgrade on Pedro Obiang, who continues to divide opinion.
Everton are also expected to splash the cash this month, and it would not be a surprise if the Merseyside outfit approached Watford over a move for Doucoure.
At the age of 24, there is every reason to believe that the former France Under-21 international, who is valued at £5.4m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will continue to improve.
It is not out of the question that a Liverpool or an Arsenal would move for a player that would not command a ridiculous transfer fee, whilst Manchester United also need a new central midfielder as they look to ultimately replace Michael Carrick.
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Watford boss Silva has insisted that Doucoure will not be leaving Vicarage Road in the January transfer window, but it does appear that the impressive midfielder will depart the Hornets sooner rather than later.
Bayern Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller has revealed the club are hoping to sign Chelsea’s Kevin De Bruyne in January, according to the Metro.
A host of Bundesliga clubs have been linked with the Chelsea winger, who is set to be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge once the transfer window opens.
The Belgian has struggled to nail down a first team place under Jose Mourinho, and wants to join a club where he will get regular first team football ahead of the summers World Cup.
De Bruyne impressed in the Bundesliga last season whilst on loan at Werder Bremen, and hopes to make a return to Germany in January, and Bayern Leverkusen have made no secret of their desire to sign him.
‘We made no secret of our interest in Kevin De Bruyne right from last summer,’ Voller told Germany’s Sky Sport. ‘There are many clubs interested in him.
‘Regardless of our league position, we’re always looking for new players.
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‘It’s possible that we do sign somebody this winter, but then again, we could go into the second half of the season with the same team and look to do something next summer.
‘If you do anything, then it’s got to be a top alternative to what we’ve already got here.’
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis wants to see the Premier League clamp down on simulation.
Pulis was left disappointed after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon but he was more upset by the ‘diving’ of some opposition players. Having criticised referee Michael Oliver for failing to dismiss Chelsea defender David Luiz for a wild, late lunge on Jon Walters, the Stoke boss also praised the match official for not being swayed by alleged playacting from Oscar and Branislav Ivanovic earlier in the game. He told Sky Sports:
“He has done well today, because he has not given Chelsea any penalties. There were three or four incidents that we have watched on the telly and people have just thrown themselves to the ground. That is a bugbear with me. When players do that, they should be highlighted. There are one or two players in the Premiership now who people know will go down very easily.
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We have got to do that (highlight players). Forget what they are doing in Europe, this is England. This is our game and people like that should be highlighted. Ivanovic’s fall – he is a great player – Oscar went over a couple of times, it just puts enormous pressure and I thought Michael did well in not submitting to the pressure of those decisions.”
Tottenham Hotspur will look to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, and get their top-four hopes back on track in the process, when they host Newcastle United at Wembley on Wednesday night.
Spurs could have moved a step closer to securing Champions League football for next season when they faced the bottom-of-the-table Baggies at the Hawthorns at the weekend, but they struggled throughout and eventually succumbed to an injury-time winner from one of their former players, Jake Livermore.
The north London outfit’s advantage over fifth-place Chelsea was cut to just two points as their London neighbours beat Liverpool 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and Mauricio Pochettino’s men will certainly be looking nervously over their shoulder with just two fixtures left to play.
The Argentine boss switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation and made four changes to the team that beat Watford 2-0 for the trip to the west Midlands, with Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela coming into the XI, but Pochettino may be considering making more alterations following such a disappointing display.
Here is how Tottenham must line up against Newcastle, ahead of Hugo Lloris in goal…
Pochettino decided to go with a back three of Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld – bringing the Belgian in for what is a rare start nowadays – and the Tottenham backline was just seconds away from a clean sheet at the Hawthorns.
With Alderweireld doing a perfectly fine job, the Argentine boss should stick with the three at the back and the same personnel for the visit of Newcastle to Wembley, where they are only likely to come up against one Magpies striker based on the majority of Rafa Benitez’s line-ups this term.
Pochettino’s first-choice central midfield duo has been Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele this term following a significant injury for Victor Wanyama earlier in the season, but the duo were both absent from the XI at the Hawthorns.
While Dembele missed out through injury, Dier was named on the substitutes’ bench with Wanyama and Christian Eriksen starting in the centre.
It wasn’t an experiment that worked particularly well however, but with Dembele and Dier set to be absent again against the Magpies, Wanyama should start alongside Moussa Sissoko instead, with Kieran Tripper as a right wing-back and Ben Davies coming in for the disappointing Danny Rose on the opposite flank.
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With Son Heung-Min struggling for form in recent weeks, Pochettino decided to give Erik Lamela an opportunity to impress from the start against West Brom, but he failed to take it and was destroyed by Spurs fans on Twitter for his first-half display.
The Argentine winger was eventually replaced by Lucas Moura in the 78th minute – the Brazilian must be given a chance in the XI against Newcastle alongside Eriksen – while Dele Alli should drop to the bench following an off-colour performance at the Hawthorns.
That leaves Harry Kane up top, and he will be looking to get back on the goal trail having drawn a blank at the weekend.
How do you get motivated to play football if you’ve won everything there is to win?Toni Kroos is 27 years old, but he has completed the game. Four league titles, three national cups, three Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups and a World Cup mean that the only major trophy that the German hasn’t won is the European Championships, which his national side haven’t won since 1996. But with the pressure off, how do you get motivated?Perhaps, if the Real Madrid midielder’s interests are anything to go by, he should be doing everything he can to rock up in the Premier League this January.We all know about his predilections for the less well-travelled road when it comes to what you’d expect footballers to be interested in: his music taste alone is part eyebrow-raising but fully endearing.
And then there’s the fact that Kroos is all-in on his fandom: every 13th February he wishes Robbie Williams a happy birthday. Just look how joyful and starstruck he looks when meeting the man himself last year – it’s the same look a football-mad kid has when they meet, say, Toni Kroos…
But perhaps the most surprising revelation about the German international repeats itself every once in a while when the darts comes around. Safe to say he’s a fan of that, too. And when Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor took to the oche to face down Rob Cross for one final time before retirement at the final of the PDC Darts World Championship on New Year’s Day, Kroos took to Twitter like every other fan to cheer on another of his unlikely heroes.
With New Year’s Day opening the madness that is the January transfer window, Kroos should think about his future. A move to Manchester City, who may be missing Kevin de Bruyne or David Silva for some time would be an obvious choice. Or Manchester United, who could be doing with another midfield maestro to pull the strings and let Paul Pogba roam freely.
But those options just seem wrong. Just as Real Madrid somehow seems wrong, too. Sure, his personality on the pitch – all silk and class – matches perfectly with the back-to-back European champions. But sometimes a footballer’s personality off the pitch demands a club where he just seems to fit in. And that’s not with one of the superclubs of the latter stages of the Champions League.
Of course, it might be tongue in cheek to suggest that Kroos would leave the Bernabeu to follow what must clearly be his dream of sitting in a dark pub with a pint of bitter in one hand and three darts in the other – maybe with a few quid saved over for a go on the jukebox later – but after winning everything in Spain and Germany, perhaps it will very seriously be time for a new adventure sometime soon.
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