Liverpool will be hoping their mini-revival has not been halted by their midweek defeat as the welcome Stoke City to Anfield on Sunday.
Brendan Rodgers was critical of his sides defending after he watched his side lose a thriller, 2-3 at home to Udinese in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Worryingly for Rodgers, his side has kept just one clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season, coming in a Europa League game at Hearts.
Stoke City recorded their first win of the Premier League campaign last time out, with Peter Crouch scoring both in a 2-0 win over Swansea.
Crouch is expected to start against his former club, whilst another former Liverpool striker Michael Owen will be hoping to make an impact from the bench.
Rodgers has no new injury concerns ahead of the fixture, and could stick with the same team that won so convincingly at Norwich last weekend. This could mean recalls to the starting line up for teenagers Andre Wisdom, Raheem Sterling and Suso, who were all rested for Thursday’s game.
Luis Suarez is set to continue leading the line, currently in sensational form. A wonderful free kick on Thursday night added to his superb hat trick at Norwich last Saturday.
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Glen Whelan has not been ruled out despite being substituted last weekend, whilst Charlie Adam is another who should feature against his former club despite having been suffering with a shoulder problem.
Gareth Southgate announced his World Cup squad on Wednesday, and Newcastle fans are absolutely certain he will regret not taking Jonjo Shelvey to Russia.
Every time an England squad is announced, there are always shouts from sides lower down the Premier League that their players have been overlooked.
Most of the time, it’s simply fan bias (we’re looking at you West Ham fans still waiting for Mark Noble’s cap), but Southgate’s decision to not take Jonjo Shelvey does seem a mistake.
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The 26 year-old has been a momentous figure for Newcastle this season, and it’s not hard to imagine where the Magpies would be without Shelvey and captain Jamaal Lascelles, who also missed out.
Shelvey’s range of passing is undoubtedly better than any player in Southgate’s squad, and as if not picking the midfielder wasn’t bizarre enough, the explanation for not picking him is almost incomprehensible.
Many media and fans alike suspected it was Shelvey’s lack of discipline that would see him miss out, which is unfair given the 26 year-old has not even been carded in the Premier League in 2018.
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Whatever the reason for leaving Shelvey at home, Newcastle fans are certain England will regret the decision, and some are even thankful he’ll be fresh and ready for next season.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Sam Allardyce’s Everton come into the an FA Cup tie at Anfield on Friday evening on a fairly dismal run of no wins in four.
When the one-time England boss came into the Everton hotseat, he seemed to have turned things around for the Toffees: his side were unbeaten in the first eight games since his announcement as the new boss, and had conceded just two goals in that time. Since then, they’ve conceded two goals in each of their last two games.
That downturn was perhaps inevitable, of course. Not only has it come at the end of the gruelling festive period, but it also shows that there’s a lot of work to do to get the side up to the levels required for a team with top six ambitions at some point in the not-too-distant future. At this stage, seventh place still seems like a possible goal, and thanks to a good start, Allardyce will no longer fear a relegation scrap.
But a terrible start under Ronald Koeman and David Unsworth mean that there’s really only one thing left for Everton to play for this year and that’s the FA Cup. And so all the Everton focus will surely be on Anfield on Friday night as they look to progress to the fourth round, knocking out their bitter city rivals in the process.
Here’s a look at what needs to happen in order to achieve that goal:
Big performance – Idrissa Gueye
If both teams line up at full strength (something which shouldn’t be taken for granted in an FA Cup third round tie, even though this is a derby) then it’s a fairly no-brainer that Everton’s suddenly-leaky defence will have to be back to its early-December levels of solidity.
Rested against Manchester United on New Year’s Day, Idrissa Gueye will likely be key to that.
Liverpool’s attack is one of the best in the country, and has given better defences than Everton’s the run-around so far this season. It will be up to Gueye to protect them and prove why he’s a defensive midfielder who is often mentioned in the same breath as Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante.
His ability to win the ball back and stop Mohamed Salah and co. from getting into their rhythm will be vital for Everton’s chances of progression.
Best Formation – 4-3-3
Sam Allardyce has yet to settle on a formation he feels comfortable with as Everton boss it seems, as he’s played with various back-three formations over the Christmas period as well as playing with a 4-4-2 against Liverpool in the Anfield draw in early December.
Two banks of four sounds like a fairly standard-issue Allardyce tactic against a side like Liverpool, but the last two league games, against Bournemouth and United, have seen the Toffees line up in something of a 4-3-3 formation. That might be the route they take against Liverpool on Friday night.
The fact that they lost both of those games over the new year might suggest that the back three formations have worked better, but the other explanation is that Allardyce – one of the most meticulous managers in the league – has been testing out the system in league games he may well care less about than an FA Cup tie which might present his club with their only chance at glory this season.
With that in mind, a formation which allows Gueye to anchor the midfield with two men alongside him to help out might offer a defensive solidity whilst also giving the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson and the returning Yannick Bolasie the chance to wreak havoc on the counter-attack.
Most likely goal threat – Bravery
That counter-attacking potency will be the key for Everton to progress, you feel. There’s nothing like a cup tie to produce open counters and that can be thrilling, but there’s always a worry that such a scenario would play right into Liverpool’s hands.
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Worrying too much about that would be a mistake, though. We know that Jurgen Klopp’s side are weakest at the back, and even if the arrival of Virgil van Dijk does shore up their defence, it’s unlikely to happen overnight. As such, it could be Everton’s bravery on the counter-attack which will be the difference between progression and elimination.
If they can hit Liverpool where it hurts whilst also protecting their defence, Everton have a good chance of progression and their motivation for the cup will grow.
Recent figures suggest that Ipswich Town might be in financial trouble despite the managing directors telling the fans not to worry.
Whilst it is reassuring to hear that the club won’t be going bankrupt any time soon, the effects of the debt on the club’s long-term future is also being downplayed.
Much like other Championship sides every year the club loses money, last year Ipswich lost £15 million and this year that figure was down to a loss of £9.8 million.
Right now these loses are being added to the club’s existing debt but we are being told not to worry because the money is not owed to a bank, it is currently owed to Marcus Evans. My understanding is that around half of the club’s debt was accumulated before Marcus Evans bought the club and the other half has mounted up under his control.
The directors are right in certain respects and there is no need to panic, but there is still reason to worry about the club’s long term future. As long as Marcus Evans owns the Suffolk side then yes, we don’t have to worry, but what will happen if he decides he wants to sell the club?
I can’t imagine there are many people in the world willing to blow £82 million to pay off Ipswich’s debt then buy the club for a start. Hopefully Evans will stick around for many years to come but none of the directors have addressed this issue because they know that there is no answer that can satisfy the fans.
Secondly, everyone has a false idea that if the team gain promotion to the Premier League then everything will be fine. Think about this logically, in a hypothetical situation if Ipswich, Leicester and Burnley were to be promoted this season then how much would each club look to spend to survive? How would Ipswich be capable of investing in their team as much as Leicester or Burnley, or even any other lower Premier League side if they use their promotion money to pay off their debt?
Of course promotion would be financially helpful, but my point is that it is not a complete instant fix as you need to invest a competitive sum of money into the team in order to have a productive season on the pitch.
It is also frustrating to hear that the club cannot pay local suppliers on time due to cash flow issues and some of the unpaid suppliers also suffered when the club previously went into administration. A football club like Ipswich should not be having such issues and should not be treating local companies in this way.
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If Evans can afford to rack up £82 million worth of debt then surely he can roll out a bit of cash to stop the club harming these small businesses?
I don’t want to sound anti-Evans, it is important to remember that without him the club could well be non-existent. My main issue is that the current directors often play down the effect of the club’s huge debt, and the reality is that even in the best case scenario it will hinder the Tractor Boys future to a certain degree.
Norwich drew for the third game in succession and remain winless under Chris Hughton after playing out an entertaining goalless draw with West Ham at Carrow Road.
The Canaries had taken a share of the spoils in their last two fixtures following the opening day hammering at the hands of Fulham and were hoping to take maximum points for the first time season at Sam Allardyce’s expense.
And Hughton should have been celebrating his first victory since taking over from Paul Lambert in the summer but saw his side pass up a number of gilt-edged opportunities during the 90 minutes.
They were indebted early on to Russell Martin for keeping the scores level after clearing Carlton Coles header off the line before goalkeeper John Ruddy repelled Kevin Nolan’s close range effort from Joey O’Brien’s cut back. Robert Snodgrass, Grant Holt, Sebastien Bassong & Andrew Surman were then denied by a combination of Jussi Jaaskelainen and the Hammers defence in a frantic bout of penalty area pingball.
Surman then thought he’d won a penalty for Norwich as the game approached half time after he was felled by a rash challenge from James Collins on the edge of the penalty area but referee Chris Foy correctly awarded a free kick. The Canaries continued to apply pressure after the break with Jaaskelainen tipping Simeon Jacksons stinging strike over the bar. Substitute Matt Jarvis then smashed an effort well over for West Ham whilst Collins headed just over with three minutes remaining.
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But they could have been heading back to East London with nothing to show for their endeavours only for youngster Harry Kane to squander a glorious chance two minutes into added time. The Tottenham loanee was played in by Snodgrass on the break but showed his inexperience tamely shooting straight at Jaaskelainen.
Throughout the season, Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham Hotspur has dominated the conversation on social media.The Belgian centre-back is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract, which has sparked rumours that he could be on his way out of the door.Alderweireld’s future will become clear this summer, but many have tried to read between the lines.Since recovering from a hamstring injury in February, the defender has been in and out of the team.[ad_pod ]In fact, the 29-year-old has made just four appearances, and in only three of those did he play the full 90 minutes.On the final day of the Premier League season, Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured third position in the table in what was a dramatic match against Leicester City.In the end, the team earned a 5-4 victory, with Harry Kane and Erik Lamela getting on the scoresheet.Alderweireld started in what could end up being his last ever match for Spurs, and his post-match tweet sparked a big reaction from the fans.
Arsenal will look to keep the pace with the teams above them when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday night, but Gunners fans don’t want Alex Iwobi to keep his place in the starting XI.
With manager Arsene Wenger reverting to the 4-2-3-1 formation in recent weeks having favoured the 3-4-2-1 system earlier in the campaign, the Nigeria international was handed a start on the right-hand side in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool.
However, he didn’t make too much of an impression before being replaced by Danny Welbeck in the 78th minute, and the north London outfit’s faithful are hoping to see a change when they visit their neighbours from the capital.
Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the 21-year-old via social media, and while one said “I’m going to be vexed if Iwobi starts tonight”, another said ‘I beg you to drop Iwobi’.
Tomorrow marks the very last day of this year’s summer and the only souvenir you will have are the memories, the tan and the Facebook photos you took at Zante with your mates. Some of you didn’t have a good summer for various reasons; some got caught up on work, others had to retake a university course, others got dumped by their girlfriends and some others got a second degree burn at their holiday at Magaluf.
If you belong in the second category then don’t despair our dear reader because we know a very well known person who also had a bad summer and that is Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger.
The 63-year-old has been facing countless complaints from all sides because of the lack of signings and the poor image the squad showed last season. Arsenal seem to be pulling it together lately with two wins against Fenerbahce for the Champions League qualifiers and an impressive victory against Fulham at the Cottage. However, yesterday Luis Figo’s touch drew the Gunners alongside last year’s Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, old foe Marseille and Rafa Benitez’s Napoli.
Besides the difficult upcoming Champions League matches, the North London club has only managed to sign Yaya Sanogo and former Gooner Mathieu Flamini both on free transfer. Arsenal missed out on all of their big targets such as Gonzalo Higuain, David Villa and Stevan Jovetic and the transfer window slams shut in just three days. Wenger will have to rely on his current talent but unfortunately Lukas Podolski, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta are all suffering from injuries.
The Gunners don’t seem to be able to convince anyone but there is one thing that can turn all that contempt around and that is a win this Sunday against the North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
A triumph against Spurs would bring Arsenal back on the map as the best club in North London and, as a result, one of the best Premier League teams. This turn of events would restore serenity at the Emirates and would give an enormous morale boost to the manager, the players and the supporters.
Even if the Gunners don’t manage to advance to the Round of 16 in Europe they will still have the upper hand when it comes to the top four places of the Premier League. During his 17-year-reign at Arsenal, Wenger has never failed to advance in the Champions League and with that win the streak can definitely continue.
In addition, Spurs have improved drastically this season, even though they are losing Gareth Bale, as they have signed top quality players such as Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela. If the Gunners overcome a squad as greatly as improved as Tottenham then they can definitely pose a threat to all the other big clubs and possibly return to the title picture as serious contenders.
Numerous parties around Europe are not expecting much from Wenger’s team but after a good Sunday all their opponents might be alarmed and lose a lot of their confidence ahead of their clash with the North London team. Every European team are expected to be extra careful when they play an English club, especially at the away matches, but some get too tight in their game and thus are prone to mistakes on the back and midfield.
All sounds good but the best thing that will happen after an Emirates triumph is that the media will finally calm down. Wenger is no stranger to press conference outbursts but his latest in Constantinople shows that he has really had enough. But if his squad gets the better out of the North London derby and vanquishes their rivals then the media will have no other choice but to praise the Frenchman and his team.
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For the sake of argument though we need to admit that it is still too early in the Premier League, as proven by last week’s bore between Manchester United and Chelsea. Spurs have not yet reached their absolute potential which is shown by their two penalty wins against Crystal Palace and Swansea. The arrival of former Roma forward Erik Lamela is also expected to strengthen the front line, assist Soldado and offer some extra solutions to manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Other sceptics might debate Spurs’ quality and start comparing them to Arsenal’s Champions League opponents. Not sure about Marseille or Napoli, even though the latter have been reinforced greatly albeit Edinson Cavani’s departure, but Dortmund seem to impose the same threat as last year. Jurgen Klopp’s squad didn’t lose any key players and have instead strengthened greatly with the acquisitions of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
If Wenger wants to erase all that moaning then he will have to work extra hard for a win that could give his club the bragging rights of the best North London squad. If Arsenal win on Sunday then it is safe to say that from then on things will be looking up and the Frenchman will at least get to have a happy end to this summer.
With Premier League spending reaching £490 million it is easy to think that this summers transfer window was marked by the big money signings like Eden Hazard and Robin Van Persie.
While both players look set to be worth the significant outlay, looking through the list of transfers this summer there has been a number of shrewd signings that haven’t broke the bank.
In fact even some of the more significant transfers have been done relatively cheaply. The likes of Jan Vertonghen, Hugo Lloris, Lukas Podolski, Shinji Kagawa, and Marko Marin have all been near enough to the £10 million mark. And lets not forget about others such as Clint Dempsey and Adam Johnson. Few would argue against any of these players being good investements and great value for money.
Then we have the free transfers. Steven Naismith, Mladen Petric, and Hugo Rodellega look to be good acquisitions as free transfers go.
The big money moves will take the headlines but the cheaper transfers can be just as effective. Below are three players who could be the bargain’s of the summer.
Dimitar Berbatov
Officially the Bulgarian moved for an undisclosed fee, although it is thought he cost the Cottagers around £5 million. Berbatov had been on the periphery at Old Trafford but there is no doubt he still has something to offer the Premier League. The obvious criticisms about the strikers attitude and work rate remain but he is a wonderfully gifted football and guarantees goals. If he can recapture the form he showed under Martin Jol at Spurs he will be a great signing for Fulham.
Michu
The early signs would suggest that at £2 million, the Spaniard could be one of the signings of the season. Having scored three goals in two games Michu looks as if he will continue to get goals from midfield having registered 15 for Rayo Vallecano last season. There is more to his game, he is technically very good and given the transfer fee looks to be an inspired signing by Michael Laudrup.
Pavel Pogrebnyak
Scoring goals is so often a problem for newly promoted teams so securing the services of the Russian on a free transfer is a good piece of business. Pogrebnyak has proved he can cut it in the Premier League with six goals in 12 games for Fulham last season and if he can replicate that form over the course of the season he will be crucial to Reading’s survival chances. With promotion to the Premier League reportedly worth £90 million, this free signing could potentially be a fantastic return.
West Ham United fans are happy to see David Moyes leave the club this summer despite doing what he was tasked with and keeping them clear of relegation from the English Premier League.
It’s been a tough season for Irons fans and at one point they were in free-fall on their way to the Championship amidst supporter demonstrations and dreadful form.
Moyes though has managed to tap into a fighting spirit at the club and get the results required to stay clear of danger, eventually finishing nine points clear of the bottom three after victory against Everton on the final day.
With his contract reported to expire at midnight tonight, he is expected to move elsewhere.
Fans believe this is the best thing for the club, although recognise the job he’s done since arriving at the London Stadium.
Can the club now appoint a manager that not only gets results but also plays the kind of football supporters want to watch?
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…