Trent Alexander-Arnold has enjoyed a tremendously impressive breakthrough season at Liverpool but last weekend, against Manchester United, he received the first proper chasing of his career.
Jose Mourinho had clearly identified him as a weakness in the Reds ranks and ruthlessly set out to exploit him.
Long diagonal kicks from David De Gea were angled towards Liverpool’s right-hand side, Romelu Lukaku had the beating of Dejan Lovren and that left Alexander-Arnold exposed against Marcus Rashford.
England international Rashford took full advantage, scoring two goals that were almost carbon copies and ultimately putting the game beyond Liverpool.
That result put United five points ahead of their bitter rivals but Jurgen Klopp’s men have a chance to cut that deficit to just two against Watford this weekend.
Alexander-Arnold’s Old Trafford performance has given Klopp a selection headache and we asked you whether he should keep the faith or bring in Joe Gomez instead?
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The numbers were close but, ultimately, Reds fans want Gomez – who has just been called into the England squad for the forthcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy – to get the nod. Check out the full results of the poll below…
For a manager who is on the cusp of a supposed legacy-ending season, Arsene Wenger will probably be able to afford himself a wry smile at the headlines Fleet Street’s finest conjured up for his Arsenal side this morning.
After a week in which the world and his wife were seemingly putting the finishing touches upon the Frenchman’s managerial obituary, following the now infamous League Cup defeat to Bradford, last night’s stirring 5-2 victory over Reading proved a fitting retort.
The old story that begins with Arsene Wenger under almost unscrupulous pressure from all angles following a torrid run of form, has an ending that we’re all too familiar with. Whether or not the Gunners do eventually attain a fourth placed finish remains to be seen, but more often or not, Wenger always seems to overcome the odds in North London.
Yet of course, while one humiliating cup upset doesn’t spell the doomsday scenario for Wenger, neither does a convincing win over serious relegation candidates, right all of the side’s wrongs. The fickle finger of the English football will ensure that despite many of real issues that continue to reside at the Emirates, both club and manager will be afforded a relative amount of reprieve. All of which can just as quickly change, with an unfavourable result away to Wigan this Saturday.
But even within the reactivity of some of this morning’s press, you can sense a common theme in the emotiveness that one notion in particular, continues to evoke more than any other.
Such are the emotions stirred within the Arsenal support upon a hypothetical discussion upon an Arsene Wenger departure from the club, it’s become one of the most toxically divisive subjects within the Premier League. And it’s a topic that appears to have become increasingly partisan in that divisiveness.
In recent weeks, it’s seemed very much you’re either ‘Wenger Out’, armed with seven years of trophy-less frustration and counting, or you’re ‘Wenger In’, preferring to focus your current disdain towards boardroom level. There are many of course, who focus a more collective blame towards the club’s regression away from anything resembling a title challenge. And then you have the realists bemoaning the shifting plateau of ambition that petromillion fuelled foreign owners have cultivated.
Although the most fervent flashpoint amongst the club’s current plight, has undoubtedly surrounded Wenger and the perceived direction that the Frenchman is seeking to carve out for his side. And after 16 years in North London, during which time he’s become the club’s longest serving and most successful manager, a touted departure is never going to catalyze anything less than a surge of contention amongst the Emirates support.
Yet between the polarizing opinions of those who sit either side of the Wenger debate, there is perhaps a less fervent and consequently less contemplated middle ground. Is the Frenchman simply just coming to the end of his cycle?
Barcelona’s Dani Alves is hardly going to do gown as the Friedrich Nietzsche of his time, but there was something wonderfully fitting in his sentiments during the penultimate year of Pep Guardiola’s reign at the Camp Nou.
Alves, like the rest of the Barca team, were desperate for Guardiola to stay ahead of the 2011 Champions League final, amidst rumours that the Spaniard was growing increasingly weary in the managerial hotsteat. Yet while the full-back was hopeful of a stay, he wasn’t detached from reality:
“Everyone has their cycle and one day his will come to an end,” he said, before suggesting that he couldn’t imagine a Barca without Guardiola.
And one year later, that cycle did end for Guaridola at Barcelona. Yes, his four years comes some way short of the longetivity that Wenger’s remarkable reign has encapsulated over a decade and a half. But be it two years, four years or 16 years – every cycle must eventually come to its conclusion.
Be it the need for a new direction, a change of circumstance or extrinsic forces that one simply cannot control, no managerial reign lasts forever – but that doesn’t mean the potential end of Wenger’s needs to be portrayed so negatively.
Like Guaridola, Arrigo Sacchi and Vicente Del Bosque cultivated two of the most successful club sides in the last 25 years at Milan and Real Madrid respectively. Their cycles combined don’t even touch Wenger’s reign at Arsenal. And some will point to the mixed fortunes of those two European superpowers when they let go of their managers. But would they necessarily have enjoyed sustained success had they stayed for 16 years a la Wenger? History suggests perhaps that might not be the case.
Wenger, alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, are anomalies. Managerial cycles either on these shores or abroad, simply do not last as long as what we’ve seen at Manchester United and Arsenal. Yet even then, it’s only been Ferguson who’s managed to really repeat the trick of winning trophies over that timespan. Has Wenger had the sort of resources available to Fergie? No, and the economic difficulties the Frenchman has had to endure shouldn’t be underestimated.
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But equally, do the successes of over seven years ago, leave Arsene Wenger bulletproof and immune from a potential remit for change?
Wenger’s time isn’t up just yet. They’ve advanced in the Champions League, they’re still on course to finish fourth and besides, who would replace him? Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp might improve the club but seem unlikely to arrive, in which case, why would the club settle for a downgrade?
Yet either way, sometimes in football, a club does just simply need a change of direction, a fresh way of looking at things and ultimately, the beginning of a new cycle. Whether we are or aren’t looking at the end of Arsene Wenger’s at Arsenal, his time will eventually come to an end. Because for all the issue affecting the Frenchman’s quest to push the club on, as in all walks of life, sometimes things simply run their natural course. Wenger’s Arsenal career isn’t any different.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane may have provided both goals in the 2-0 win over Newcastle but in truth, Liverpool’s front three barely exceeded second gear at Anfield on Saturday compared to the impeccable standards they have set themselves this season. Rather, it was the engine room that had a decisive influence on the match.
While Newcastle’s middle foursome settled for simply containing Liverpool as much as possible by clogging up space and cutting out passing lanes, the Reds’ midfield truly imposed themselves on the opposition – providing a platform that the Magpies rarely breached on the counter-attack and that the Reds’ attacks were all spawned from.
That perhaps rings truest with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who burst through from midfield to supply Salah for the opening goal. But the 2-0 affair on Merseyside also highlighted what Jordan Henderson, an underrated and often maligned figure amongst Liverpool supporters despite donning the captain’s armband, truly brings to this side.
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The England international’s influence in the holding role can be summarised as winning the ball back and making the right pass forward, but Saturday proved just how important that services is, even if it often comes across as simplistic in nature.
Henderson made the most interceptions and second-most tackles of any Liverpool player, while ranking third for touches of the ball and passes. That latter return of 100 is particularly significant; more than Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emre Can, it was Henderson fizzing balls forward to Liverpool’s attack on Saturday.
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It maintained Liverpool’s rhythm and pressure on the opposition in a match where Newcastle tried to slow them down as much as possible, and Reds fans will appreciate how crucial that is for Jurgen Klopp’s side who have often come unstuck in these kinds of games against attritional and pragmatic-minded teams.
The spotlight is rarely placed on deep-lying midfielders, and Henderson’s form hasn’t always been so impressive this season, so perhaps it’s understandable that the 36-cap England man often escapes acknowledgement for what he brings to the team. But there has been plenty of scrutiny of the Liverpool skipper this too this season, so do you think Reds fans have unfairly criticised him throughout 2017/18? Let us know by voting below…
The thing that is most shocking is that we’re at this stage of the transfer window – a little over a week left before the deadline – and Micah Richards is still wandering the halls of the Etihad Stadium.
The defender’s future with Manchester City was confirmed well before the start of this summer’s window: the former England international has only made nine Premier League appearances over the last two years, and following the signings of Bacary Sagna and Eliaquim Mangala over the summer, Richards has little backing him to push for a return to the first team.
Like Jack Rodwell, who has moved on permanently to Sunderland, this summer was about starting a fresh for Richards – and he hasn’t been short of potential suitors, if reports are to be believed.
The latest clubs to be linked with a move for the versatile defender are West Ham and Newcastle, though Liverpool were previously mentioned, as well as Arsenal. Needless to say, someone of Richards’ experience in the Premier League would go a long way to helping both West Ham, who are light of numbers at the back, and Newcastle, who recently sold Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal.
What is most important is that Richards lands at a club willing to invest faith in him. After such a prolonged spell away from regular first-team football, there can be no guarantees. But Richards is far from Manuel Pellegrini’s thoughts at this time, and a bargain fee is likely to be attached to him ahead of a sale.
Having already signed Daryl Janmaat from Feyenoord to replace the departed Debuchy, Newcastle’s need for Richards won’t be as pressing as West Ham’s, however the former England international is more than capable of being a regular at centre-back.
Sam Allardyce doesn’t have that level of quality at right-back, having recently loaned Carl Jenkinson from Arsenal. Someone of the experience of Richards would be a boost to the Hammers’ back line, which produced plenty of positive displays last season. In addition, the rumours linking Winston Reid with a move to Arsenal would necessitate the signing of another centre-back.
West Ham may be wary of another injury prone addition, having suffered multiple times in the past and now most recently with Andy Carroll. But the club have already taken a hit on the fitness front, with James Tomkins and Jenkinson suffering hamstring injuries. Richards’ history may not be spotless, but if he can prove to have escaped the problems that played a hand in his decline at Manchester City, he’ll be a shrewd signing for Sam Allardyce.
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The club are said to be in advanced negotiations with City, and ahead of Newcastle, West Ham would prove to be the best destination for a player desperately in need of a change of scenery and a restart to his flagging career.
In an era when football matches are a constant part of life, cup fixtures still bring that little extra sparkle to the minds of players and fans alike. In the Capital One Cup this season, that sparkle has often translated into goal-scoring frenzies, and on the odd, special occasions, it produces a memorable solo performance from a player who may not always be the centre of attention. In this series, FFC takes a look at some stellar one-man displays…
Jermaine Jenas will be watching the Capital One Cup quarter-finals from the sofa as both his current club, Nottingham Forest, and his parent club, Tottenham, are out of the competition. Perhaps, as he sits and watches the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa in action, the box-to-box midfielder will have time to reflect on the road his career has taken in recent seasons – and think back to the year he made the League Cup his personal showcase event.
When Tottenham reached the semi-finals of the 2007-08 League Cup, seeing off Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Manchester City in identical 2-0 wins to set up a semi-final against arch-rivals Arsenal, the occasion represented a prime opportunity for Spurs to get their hands on what would be their first silverware since their last League Cup triumph, in 1999.
Spurs’ squad that year was one of their strongest in recent memory, following heavy investment the previous summer which resulted in the additions of Gareth Bale, Darren Bent, Younes Kaboul, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jonathan Woodgate among others. With the likes of Jenas, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Ledley King and Aaron Lennon already at the club, and Paul Robinson at the height of his powers between the sticks, the stage seemed set for a successful campaign.
The reality, though, could hardly have been more different. A dismally inconsistent Spurs suffered a turbulent season, including the firing of Martin Jol in October and the arrival of Juande Ramos, and finished 11th in the Premier League. Maybe this doesn’t sound that disastrous, but it represents Spurs’ worst final position of any season since the 2003-4 campaign, when David Pleat’s comparatively short-handed squad had bumbled to 14th.
The League Cup, however, was to be a different story. That two-legged tie with Arsenal in the semi-finals began inauspiciously, with a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium setting up a tense second leg. Jenas scored Tottenham’s goal in the first half, and was tireless in creating chances for the likes of Steed Malbranque and Berbatov which went unfulfilled. But even after Theo Walcott’s fortuitous equaliser, more was to come from Jenas in the return leg.
The midfielder once again opened the scoring back at White Hart Lane, this time inside three minutes, surging forward into the box and lashing a shot beyond Lukasz Fabianski. He remained a force throughout the game, forcing an own-goal from Nicklas Bendtner with a sublime free-kick and setting up Berbatov only to see the Bulgarian’s finish clatter back off the post. The entire Tottenham side put in a class display, destroying Arsenal 5-1 to advance to the finals.
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Jenas’ personal hot streak in the competition would continue when Spurs met Chelsea in the final. It was another of his free-kicks from which Woodgate would score the winner early in the extra-time period, and although the defender was named man of the match, Jenas’ impact had been profound.
In the years since that trophy, Jenas’ fortunes at White Hart Lane have changed and he no longer appears to have a future at the club where he was once made vice-captain. Last season’s injury-ruined loan spell at Aston Villa got him nowhere, and thus far back at childhood club Nottingham Forest he has been limited to substitute appearances as he works back towards full match fitness following a torn Achilles’ tendon. But who knows? Maybe watching the latter stages of the Capital One Cup will give the former England international something to aim for. Still only 29, he has a few years in him yet.
Eric Lichaj’s time at Nottingham Forest has officially come to an end after he completed a move to fellow Championship outfit Hull City.
The defender spent five years at the club, but they only released a short statement confirming his exit on their official website.
The 29-year-old has moved to the KCOM Stadium for an undisclosed fee, and has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Tigers.
The USA international joined Forest in 2013 from Aston Villa and went on to make close to 200 appearances for the club.
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Last season, Lichaj started just 22 Championship matches and came off the bench in one other.
In total, the defender made 27 appearances in all competitions after dropping down the pecking order.
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With just one year remaining on his current deal, Forest opted to sell rather than allow him to leave for nothing next summer.
Forest fans have been wishing the defender well on Twitter, and some are disappointed by the news.
Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham Hotspur has been a talking point for some time.
The defender is yet to follow the lead of a number of his teammate’s and sign a new contract at the North London outfit.
There have been many twists and turns in the media with regards to the Belgian’s future.
A recent exclusive from The Times claims that Tottenham are willing to sell the centre-back after reaching an impasse in transfer negotiations.
The publication states that both parties have been in talks over a deal worth around £110,000 per week, but Alderweireld’s camp are pushing for a salary close to £150,000 a week.
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According to The Times, manager Mauricio Pochettino has given a thumbs up to the club to sell the defender as the hierarchy feel that this summer will be the best time to get the highest price.
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The report also claims that the club are worried players could demand more lucrative salaries if they give Alderweireld what he wants.
As expected, this latest story has got the fans talking.
After adopting an attritional, paint-drying brand of football over the last two years for the sake of Premier League survival, Sam Allardyce has been charged with the task of evolving West Ham’s style into something more commendable this season.
A major part of that process will be transfers, and according to recent speculation, the Hammers are eying a move for Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano.
The Frenchman is a diminutive, tidy attacking midfielder and impressed last season on loan at West Brom. It’s alleged a fee has already agreed and reports last night claim Amalfitano is now ‘desperate’ to move to Upton Park.
So in honour of the 29 year-old’s expected arrival, here’s FIVE things Amalfitano will bring to West Ham’s new attacking style
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OUTPUT
The biggest failing of West Ham’s attacking players last season was undoubtedly their limited output.
Kevin Nolan found an impressive seven goals and five assists from attacking midfield but that was by far the biggest contribution of any forward-thinking player on the Hammers roster.
As viewable below however, Morgan Amalfitano fared significantly better than the likes of Stewart Downing, Ravel Morrison and Matt Jarvis during his loan spell with West Brom last season:
Here’s a short clip of the midfielder’s net-finding exploits in Ligue 1:
//www.youtube.com/embed/bU2xL6ugx3c?rel=0
If the Frenchman can transition his consistent output to Upton Park, West Ham’s rather uninspiring average of 1.05 goals scored per match from last season should significantly improve.
Match-Winner
And through his ability to score goals, Morgan Amalfitano has the potential to be a real match winner for West Ham. The Irons could certainly do with a talismanic presence too, with the vast majority of their good results depending heavily on Sam Allardyce’s entrenched team ethic rather than moments of individual brilliance.
Last season, the 29 year-old netted this wonder goal to clinch West Brom a historic win against Manchester United at Old Trafford:
//www.youtube.com/embed/crAih_j1AU8?rel=0
He also bagged an audacious lob against relegation rivals Cardiff City:
And found the deciding goal in a 1-0 win over Norwich in April,which proved to be the final nail in Chris Hughton’s Carrow Road career.
Creativity and diversity
Likewise to output, the West Ham squad is suffering from a lack of natural creativity, especially with the future of attacking midfield prodigy Ravel Morrison remaining uncertain after his recent brush with the law.
But the anticipated arrival of Morgan Amalfitano should remedy that somewhat. As viewable below, despite the Baggies’ atrocious form last season the Marseille midfielder produced impressive attacking averages:
West Ham need a player who can unlock opposition defences without relying upon their more traditional ethos of route one football.
The 5 foot 10 Frenchman would be perfect for that role; he can operate in attacking or central midfield, and rather than being an old-fashioned English winger that constantly hugs the touchline, Amalfitano is a roaming playmaker who often cuts inside to open the whole pitch up.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO KEVIN NOLAN
Kevin Nolan remains as vital to West Ham’s successes as ever – his seven goals last term were the most of any player in the entire Irons squad.
But at 32 years of age, his scoring rate slowly-yet-surely decreasing and his legs inevitably beginning to fade, the Hammers captain can’t be expected to play all 38 games in the attacking midfield role next season. He’s also picked up some worrying disciplinary problems of late.
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Sam Allardyce needs a viable alternative, especially amid the aformentioned drama surrounding Ravel Morrison at this moment in time, and he may well have found one in Morgan Amalfitano.
The Frenchman may not share Nolan’s determined spirit but he can score, create and is more than comfortable with the ball at his feet. During games in which the Hammers need to keep the ball, this service could prove vital.
That’s not to say West Ham fans should expect Kevin Nolan to be ousted by Amalfitano any time soon, but the 29 year-old’s arrival will allow the Irons skipper to share the burdens of his intrinsic role.
Controversy?
Morgan Amalfitano was hardly perceived as the bad-boy of the Hawthorns during his season-long stay with West Bromwich Albion last year.
But the sustained tension surrounding his transfer situation this summer appears to have brought out the worst in him. According to reports from France, the 29 year-old spat at coach Marcelo Bielsa during a training session he was told not to attend last week.
This tackle on Manchester United youngster Adnan Januzaj last season wasn’t too friendly either:
//www.youtube.com/embed/LvvTja7hlTc?rel=0
So although the one-cap France midfielder appeared a rather pleasant personality during his stay with the Baggies, he does come with a dark side that could soon be exposed at Upton Park.
‘s Rio Ferdinand has revealed how manager Sir Alex Ferguson gave them a shock when he showed them the Premier League table before their game against Newcastle last month.
United were sixth in the top flight after six games before their 3-0 win at St. James’s Park and were seven points behind leaders Chelsea.
And veteran defender Ferdinand has described how Ferguson’s decision to show them the league table before the game game gave them a much needed wake up call.
He told the Daily Mirror: “Before kick-off, the manager showed us the league table to emphasise that point and it didn’t make pretty reading.
“I don’t really look at the league table until Christmas normally. When we saw it that day, it hit home. We thought, ‘Wow, we need to shake ourselves up.’
“Thankfully, it turned out to be a good day for us.”
And Ferdinand admitted that, despite now being two points clear of rivals Manchester City at the top of the league, United’s faltering start to the season was a lot down to taking their eye off the ball and expecting to win games.
“I think we had got in to a position this season, a bit like we did at the start of last season, where we were just playing open, expansive football and expecting to score three or four goals and no really concentrating as we should on our defending,” he explained.
“This league is unforgiving in that sense. If you’re not on your game in all areas you’ll get punished.
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“But I think the performance against Newcastle signalled a bit of a change in mentality from us and hopefully that’s a taste of things to come for the rest of the season.”