Finding a striker to ease the workload on Harry Kane has been an underlying issue during Mauricio Pochettino’s time at Tottenham Hotspur, with signings Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente struggling to fulfil expectations, and could now become an even more prevalent one after the England forward hobbled off during the 4-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday.
At the time of writing, it’s yet to be confirmed how long Kane will be out for – if at all – but a solution to a problem that has often dogged the north London club in recent seasons and cost them a considerable sum in the transfer market presented itself at the Vitality Stadium in the form of versatile attacker Heung-min Son.
The South Korean has adopted a variety of roles during his Tottenham career, but chances as a central striker have been few and far between. That’s the position he took up on Sunday after Kane was forced off through injury though, and the one he quickly relished in to grab an impressive brace that combined technical quality with incredible speed and energy.
Indeed, after Dele Alli had cancelled out Junior Stanislas’ opener with a close range finish, Son peeled away at the back post to latch onto the England international’s cross and scuff the ball beyond a flailing Asmir Begovic.
And when it was Bournemouth’s turn to search for an equaliser, the 61-cap international shrewdly prevented a quick Cherries free kick before eventually latching onto a dispossession in midfield, running the entire half unopposed and eloquently taking the ball around Begovic for Tottenham’s third.
While Son may be a different kind of presence to Kane and Llorente, who both have the natural power and height to hold up the ball, his pace and his relentless work-rate – something two tackles and two interceptions on Sunday directly alluded to – can create just as many problems for defenders, especially if Tottenham adapt their game to provide the right service for him to latch onto.
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So, Tottenham fans, for the occasions in which Kane isn’t available going forward, which attacker would you like to see Pochettino turn to? Let us know by voting below…
Liverpool found themselves in a rather unique situation this summer, keen to utilise their enhanced financial firepower to build upon the momentum of their runner-up finish last season whilst simultaneously compensating for the £75million departure of PFA and FWA Player of the Year Luis Suarez.
Yet, the Anfield outfit’s £117million spend is yet to prove fruitful – in fact, the Reds appear to have taken a step back, as they currently lay eleventh in the Premier League with just 14 points from eleven games and a goal difference of -1.
Perhaps it’s time for some assessment then, and with that in mind, here’s FIVE fatal flaws of Liverpool’s summer transfer policy.
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REPLACING A STAR PLAYER WITH SQUAD DEPTH
Tottenham Hotspur proved as much in summer 2013 upon Gareth Bale’s record-breaking £87million departure to Real Madrid – replacing a world-class entity with squad depth simply doesn’t work.
You can understand Brendan Rodgers’ desire to improve his options throughout the first team, with the Reds re-entering the Champions League for the first time since 2009 this season.
Only having to concentrate on the Premier League was an integral factor in Liverpool’s runner-up finish last term, and even amid their stunning 2013/14 campaign, the Anfield side were forced to depend on inexperienced youngsters in certain fixtures, such as Jon Flanagan, Brad Smith, Luis Alberto and Jordan Ibe.
But in the absence of a similarly talismanic replacement for now-Barcelona star Luis Suarez, the Liverpool starting Xi has lacked clear focal points this season and their form has duly suffered.
Furthermore, Liverpool could well be eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages, as they currently sit three points behind FC Basel in Group B:
…which makes all of that extra squad depth, at the cost of £117million, rather pointless.
NO MARQUEE SIGNINGS
Which brings us nicely on to the hotly-debated issue of marquee signings.
There’s clearly a bit of a problem here; throughout Brendan Rodgers’ four transfer windows at the Anfield helm, he’s never spent more than £25million on a single player – Adam Lallana – and continually failed to attract major names to the club.
Not that the Ulsterman hasn’t attempted to. Since taking over in 2012, the Reds have come close to signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian, Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez, Isco and Yevhen Konoplyanka to name a few. But as you can see below, hardly any of Rodgers’ Reds acquisitions can be considered top-class buys:
Rodgers recently raised a valid point that many players would prefer to move to London or Manchester over Liverpool for social or family reasons, but even so, if the Reds plan to ever compete with the likes of Arsenal Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United in the transfer market, they have to make an Anfield switch as tempting as possible – even if that includes bending the club’s financial structure.
The Anfield boss appears to agree, having demanded Liverpool work ‘harder and smarter’ in the transfer market, and a similar view is held by former Charlton and West Ham boss-come-pundit, Alan Curbishley.
The predominant concern is that, in the long-term, it will reflect badly on Rodgers, suggesting a lack of pulling power, and also eliminate Liverpool from the top end of the transfer market.
MARIO BALOTELLI
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but from the off, buying Mario Balotelli for £16million was always a huge gamble.
After all, Roberto Mancini, Cesare Prandelli and Jose Mourinho have all failed to tame the enigmatic Italian, with the Chelsea boss dubbing him ‘unmanageable’ during their time together at Inter Milan, and nothing suggested Brendan Rodgers would fare any better.
Likewise, from a tactical point of view, the 24 year-old is completely wrong for the Reds. Last season, an industrious-yet-progressive attacking style, based upon relentlessly quick counter-attacking, became their identity, but Balotelli is work-shy and illusive, and rather than testing space behind defenders prefers to pick up the ball in front of them.
There’s nothing wrong with that style of play – consider Dimitar Berbatov’s Premier League exploits – but in comparison to Liverpool’s it’s chalk and cheese, and has also made Balotelli stick out like a sore thumb.
Resultantly, the Italy international’s netted just twice in 12 appearances for the Reds and is yet to get off the mark in the Premier League.
Once again, there’s harrowing similarities to Tottenham’s recruitment in summer 2013, where they splashed out a club-record £27million on flopped striker Roberto Soldado.
To think as well, the Reds could have signed the far more dependable Loic Remy, before pulling the plug over an apparent failed medical.
CHANGING THREE OF THE BACK FOUR
Liverpool’s defensive frailties under Brendan Rodgers are a long-term problem – since taking the dugout in 2012, the Reds have conceded on average 1.2 goals per match in the Premier League, which is obviously too high for a Champions League club.
But in the absence of a prolific goal threat, Liverpool’s poor performances at the other end of the pitch have become even more evident, and Brendan Rodgers’ addition of three new defenders to the starting Xi during the summer, Javier Manquillo, Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno, has further exacerbated the situation.
Not to suggest any are bad players or poor acquisitions; left-back Moreno for example, is already looking like a solid find, netting this incredible solo effort against Spurs:
//www.youtube.com/embed/ZjKDj0joiGM?rel=0
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…and producing a top display against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
But clearly, they’re inevitably struggling to gel as a backline, particularly £20million signing Dejan Lovren alongside Martin Skrtel, and resultantly, Liverpool’s 15 goals conceded this term is matched or bettered by eleven fellow Premier League sides.
Perhaps this isn’t a failure of transfer policy exclusively – Liverpool’s back four has needed a shake up for some time – but Rodgers should have anticipated the dangers of forging an entirely new defence overnight.
SPENDING IT ALL
Liverpool spent a whopping £117million this summer, marking the most lucrative transfer window in the club’s history, as a result of the added revenues of Champions League football and the £75million sale of Luis Suarez.
But did Brendan Rodgers really need to spend it all in such a ferocious fashion? Take Arsene Wenger for example – he may often draw criticism from fans, but the Frenchman is one of the Premier League’s shrewdest when it comes to picking his moments in the transfer market.
The Liverpool boss, on the other hand, appeared hell-bent on spending the entirety of his transfer bounty during the summer. That’s probably the largest budget he’ll ever be given access to however and currently the Reds don’t have too much to show for it.
It’s understandable that Rodgers went all-out during the summer, but some deals, such as Adam Lallana for £25million, don’t strike good value-for-money and although he may have entered the current season with a weaker squad than desired, patience from the Anfield gaffer – perhaps waiting for some better, contract-rebel-based deals in January – would have proved wiser in the long-run.
Newcastle have agreed a £5m fee with Lille for full-back Mathieu Debuchy, according to reports from Sky Sports.
The French international is a long-term target of the Premier League club, who were rumoured to be interested in his signature during the summer.
After previously stating his willingness to move to the North East of England, it is thought that a deal for the 27-year-old could be concluded within the opening week of the transfer window
Real Madrid and Inter Milan were thought to be interested in the full-back, but neither have made an official bid, leaving the door open for the Magpies.
Current St James’ Park midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who was Debuchy’s team-mate at Lille, is thought to have had a major influence on the deal, persuading his countryman to move to the Tyne club.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is thought to be keen on strengthening his back line during the New Year and sees Debuchy as the ideal candidate to add some solidity.
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It is believed that he may be keen to add further reinforcements, with a centre-back rumoured to be on his mind due to the shaky performances of Fabricio Coloccini and James Perch.
Debuchy was key part of the French side at EURO 2012, helping his nation reach the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Spain.
The goalkeeping situation was one of the biggest questions surrounding the England squad ahead of their World Cup campaign and three games into Russia 2018, it’s arguably not been fully solved.
While Gareth Southgate has never shown any signs of retracting his faith in Jordan Pickford – in fact, the Three Lions gaffer provided a staunch defence of the 24-year-old during his last press conference – the Everton glovesman is yet to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup and his attempt to save Adnan Januzaj’s curler last time out certainly raised some eyebrows.
It would of course represent a huge gamble for Southgate to drop Pickford and start either Stoke City’s incredibly promising Jack Butland or Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope for England’s first knockout clash of the tournament on Tuesday. But where do you stand in this debate, Three Lions fans?
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
Would you axe Pickford – who Transfermarkt value at £27million – in favour of Butland or Pope, or stick with the Toffees star? Let us know by voting below…
Aside from an uncharacteristic shared smirk midway though Sunday’s 2-1 affair at Old Trafford, there isn’t much Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho have agreed on since the former arrived in England to succeed the latter at Chelsea.
Whether their apparent feud is sourced from some form of enviousness, a genuine dislike of each other or simply the kind of hot air fighting talk you’d sooner expect from Connor McGregor remains a matter of opinion.
But as Conte prepares for what will be the toughest test Chelsea face in the Premier League this season, an away trip to the Etihad Stadium where champions-in-waiting Manchester City have dropped just two points and scored 50 goals in 14 games, the Manchester United gaffer has inadvertently presented his Italian adversary with a crucial gift – a game-plan for how to beat the Citizens on their own patch.
That was devised four years ago, when Chelsea produced an away masterclass in arguably the greatest 1-0 the Premier League has ever seen.
In a game of preciously fine margins, two opposing schools of thought collided to create an end-to-end affair where every inch of space became of instrumental importance. For all the chances City made through their domination of possession and one-touch attacking play, Chelsea mustered up just as many by staging audacious counter-attacks and exploding into the gaps City left behind as they camped around the Blues’ box. In fact, it was arguably the visitors who made the better opportunities; in addition to scoring the only goal of the game, Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o and Nemanja Matic all hit the woodwork.
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Branislav Ivanovic’s goal highlighted how important space and discipline was in that game. As Chelsea’s rugged right-back, he was perhaps the only player on the pitch afforded time and space on the ball in compromising areas – at least in relative terms. So when City failed to clear after one of Chelsea’s many rip-roaring counter-attacks, it was the Serbian who found himself unmarked and unchallenged on the edge of the box for just long enough to drill a placed shot into Joe Hart’s left inside netting.
Nobody else on the pitch, in any other moment of the game, was privy to that kind of luxury; City always found themselves a few inches away from a challenging Chelsea boot, and everything Chelsea did going forward had to be at full speed.
Of course, Chelsea and Manchester City are much-changed animals these days – after all, we’re talking about a match that took place four years ago with two different managers at the helm. But there are some glaring similarities; City still look to dominate the ball under Pep Guardiola, albeit with far more intensity than under Manuel Pellegrini, and Chelsea still set up to hit teams on the break in big games. In fact, they almost pulled off a counter-attacking masterclass of their own against Barcelona last week, with one erroneous pass from Andreas Christensen standing in their way.
What’s more, this fixture once again falls in February, City are once again amid a title bid and Chelsea are once again short of that challenge because of a misshapen squad. The dynamics are perfect for a performance that mimics what Chelsea produced in February 2014; a counter-attacking display as thrilling and effective as what City managed with 65% possession.
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No doubt, Chelsea rode their luck that night – Yaya Toure and David Silva both missed glaring chances to score from close range as the ball bobbled around a Blues penalty box filled with practically all 20 outfield players – and they probably aren’t as dynamic offensively as they were when Ramires, Willian, Hazard and Eto’o combined to create an incredibly mobile front four.
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But Chelsea will need fortune on Sunday too, that much is obvious, and Willian and Hazard particularly are far more consistent in what they produce on the ball these days. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso too, can be vital outlets out wide and if Ivanovic’s goal tells us anything, it’s that they could well be the ones who find themselves in just enough space to wriggle a shot beyond Ederson.
Regardless of whether it pays off or not though, it’s clear the 2014 performance is the template Chelsea must follow this weekend; prepared to defend their own box for large spells, knowing they have the explosiveness and talent to create chances as good as City’s on the break – and for all the due praise City have received this season, we know they still make mistakes at the back when teams hit them on the counter. In another game of crucially fine margins, just one could decide the result.
Liverpool hero John Aldridge believes that this international break, unlike the last one, will benefit his old club.
The Reds lost three first-team players in the shape of Joe Allen, Emre Can and, most noticeably, Daniel Sturridge the last time they were away with their respective nations due to injuries picked up.
The trio have not taken part in any game between then and now, which has coincided with an alarming drop in results at Anfield.
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Losses to Aston Villa and West Ham were followed a home draw in the Merseyside derby with Everton and a hard fought 2-1 victory against West Brom over the weekend.
With the Reds’ next game, against QPR, a little under two weeks away, the aforementioned threesome are expected to be fit again, while players away from their international set-ups, such as Steven Gerrard and Mario Balotelli, will be given plenty of time to rest and recover.
And ‘Aldo’ feels that this has come at just the right time:
“The last international break killed our momentum but this one has come at the perfect time for Liverpool.” He wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo.
“This fortnight will allow us to get Daniel Sturridge, Joe Allen and Emre Can back fit and regroup after a really testing period.
“With two massive games on the horizon against Real Madrid we need to improve and I’m confident we will. The return of Sturridge will be a massive boost and give better balance to the side.
“It looks like Chelsea and Man City will fight it out for the title but it’s not all doom and gloom. We’re in that pack behind them vying for third and fourth with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.
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“The performance against West Brom on Saturday wasn’t great but it was all about the result. After a bad week we desperately needed those three points and in the end we did enough to get them.”
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Arsenal fans – anyone remember Julio Baptista? The Brazilian striker was only at the Emirates for a single season, and made an overall limited impact on Arsenal’s 2006-7 campaign. A burly forward most familiar with the Spanish style of football after three years in La Liga, he struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League and made little impact on the competition, with over half of his 24 appearances coming as a substitute.
Arsenal had nearly landed Baptista the year before. After two seasons at Sevilla which produced a remarkable 47 goals in 79 appearances across all competitions, by 2005 Baptista was touted as one of the most talented forwards on the market as Real Madrid and Arsenal led the chase to sign him. In addition, the then-24-year-old was an emerging part of the Brazilian national squad, for whom he often featured in more of an attacking midfield position and acted more as a link-up playmaker than a goal threat.
In that one-year stay, however, Baptista did break a club record, registering four goals in a single game againstLiverpoolin the League Cup quarter-finals. It was the performance that summed up why Arsene Wenger had been so interested in Baptista’s services before. A free-kick, a placed 20-yard strike and two tap-ins showed his versatility and for once Baptista’s trickery and guile were complimented by some genuine pace. He could have had a fifth goal but Jerzy Dudek saved his second-half penalty.
Wenger, a staunch defender of the striker throughout his difficult season inEngland, hailed Baptista’s performance after the game, calling him “a mentally very strong player… his quality is fantastic”.
The goals kept coming in the next round of the League Cup as Baptista scored two more against arch-rivals Tottenham in the semi-finals. He couldn’t help Arsenal overcomeChelseain the final, but the two games – the virtuoso performance againstLiverpoolin particular – had left Gunners fans with some insight into what might have been from Julio Baptista.
It’s obvious that his best performances came in the League Cup for Arsenal and his goals are equivalent to those of Theo Walcott in this year’s Capital One Cup – although Arsene Wenger will be hoping that Walcott takes his form into league games, something which Baptista failed to do.
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Unfortunately, ‘The Beast’ hasn’t produced the same magic since, either. With the loan expiring in the summer of 2007, Baptista returned to Real Madrid but couldn’t produce the La Liga form of his time at Sevilla, and is currently without a club after stints with Roma andMalaga, where on both occasions he faded away after showing early promise. His involvement with the national side has fizzled out, too, and the 31-year-old has not been capped since 2010.
English fans, then, can count themselves lucky that they got a little taste of Baptista’s brilliance with that memorable display against Liverpool at Anfield.
Argentina are known as one of the football greats on the global stage, but on Thursday night they looked a shadow of their former selves.
Despite having five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi in the team, Jorge Sampaoli’s side have failed to impress at the World Cup in Russia.
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The nation were held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland in their opening Group D match, and on Thursday were beaten 3-0 by Croatia.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero started both matches, and in the clash against Iceland he netted Argentina’s only goal.
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The 30-year-old, who is valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, was named in the first XI against Croatia, but was substituted and replaced with Gonzalo Higuain one minute after the first goal was conceded.
The result means that Argentina are staring at early elimination from the tournament.
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After the final whistle, Aguero spoke to reporters and seemed to take aim at Sampaoli when the coach claimed that the players “did not adapt” during the fixture.
City fans have been tweeting their thoughts on the situation.
Everton fans are once again showing their displeasure for manager Sam Allardyce as the ex-England boss claims he wants to be at the club next season.
Blues fans haven’t had much to cheer recently, their dismal away form has only been partially rescued by a few good home results, and the uninspiring football is turning fans against the manager.
The 2-1 defeat at Burnley made it six consecutive away losses in the Premier League for the Toffees, and trips to four relegation battling teams to come could bring further criticism for the manager.
Allardyce claimed in his press conference today that there is a long-term plan at Everton, and he does not plan on leaving at the end of the season.
Still, it would be a surprise to see Big Sam at the club next season, especially after he smirked at questions about the fans frustrations on Saturday.
Many fans saw Allardyce as a short-term option all along, hoping the club would look to pursue a more attacking coach after Big Sam ensured safety from relegation.
Today’s club tweet asking about a potential line-up for this weekend’s clash with Brighton has given fans an excuse to bash the manager again, and they aren’t best pleased with his press conference comments either.
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Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
This summer marked the most lucrative transfer window in Arsenal’s history, as the club splashed out £82million on five first-team signings, including the deadline day acquisition of £16million forward Danny Welbeck.But to suggest the Gunners are now prepared to challenge for the Premier League title would be rather optimistic. In truth, there are still a number of gaps in the Arsenal squad that Arsene Wenger failed to address, most notably in defensive midfield, at centre-back and up top.Luckily for Wenger (and us at Football Fancast), with the summer window now over everybody is already looking forward to it’s winter counterpart.So with that in mind, here’s a list of the FIVE January signings to complete the job at Arsenal.
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WILLIAM CARVALHO
Despite being linked with several top-quality targets, Arsenal failed to land a much-needed holding midfielder this summer.
But it appears Arsene Wenger is keen to make up for lost time with news that Arsenal already in talks to sign Sporting Lisbon prodigy William Carvalho in January:
The 22 year-old has emerged as one of European football’s hottest youngsters after breaking through to the Sporting first team last season, eventually muscling his way into Portugal’s World Cup squad. Carvalho measures in at 6 foot 2, comes with an imposing physique and is famed for his simple-yet-effective style.
Here’s a look at the midfielder in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/A8jRQbn1LzE?rel=0
Carvalho comes with a £35million release clause, which is almost certainly too rich for Wenger’s blood. But the Portugal international rejected new terms at Estadio Jose Alvalade earlier this week, suggesting the Primeira Liga side will be resigned to let him leave for significantly less.
ADRIEN RABIOT
Adrien Rabiot, Paris Saint-Germain
Another holding midfielder rumoured to be on his way to the Emirates in January is PSG contract rebel Adrien Rabiot.
The 19 year-old midfielder, who once spent a season in at Manchester City’s academy, is highly-rated in the French capital and amassed an impressive 34 appearances in all competitions last season, producing three goals. Here’s a look at his stats from the campaign:
And Rabiot in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/88HpUceQvFo
But the floppy-haired playmaker has continually rejected contract extensions at PSG, citing a lack of assurances over first team football, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
That’s understandably grabbed Arsenal’s attention but in truth, there’s a host of clubs lining up for the France U21’s signature:
WINSTON REID
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Another glaring hole in Arsenal’s squad depth is the absence of an established back-up option to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, barring 19 year-old Calum Chambers. One potential solution is West Ham’s Winston Reid, who was linked with an Emirates switch not only in January but also during the summer:
The 26 year-old may be no world-beater but he’s been incredibly consistent since the East Londoners returned to the Premier League in summer 2012, claiming the Hammer of the Year award the twelve months later.
He was in prominent form at the start of last season too before the New Zealand skipper was sidelined with an ankle injury – by no great coincidence, West Ham’s league form plummeted in his absence.
The 6 foot 3 centre-back is more rugged than your average Arsenal defender but he’s a reliable performer, proven at Premier League level, who would fit the hierarchy of the squad. Here’s a look at Reid in action:
//www.youtube.com/embed/vhYZjrgfBsA?rel=0
Furthermore, the defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and a new deal is looking increasingly unlikely. That could see him leave Upton Park for a nominal fee.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
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Arsenal signed Danny Welbeck for £16million on deadline day but it remains to be seen if a forward who netted just 20 times in 90 league appearances for Manchester United can take on goalscoring duties full time for the Gunners.
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Arsene Wenger’s forward cast requires further bolstering anyway if it’s truly to compete with those at Manchester United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea, and thus, the north Londoners have been linked with a January swoop for another contract rebel, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar:
Admittedly, the Schalke assassin doesn’t offer much to open play, as shown through his uninspiring passing statistics from last season:
He’s one of Europe’s most clinical finishers however, with the 31 year-old boasting returns of 92 in 140 for the Miners and 35 in 65 for the Netherlands. Here’s a look at the striker’s Top Ten goals: //www.youtube.com/embed/EBGEdveNuY4?rel=0 Like Winston Reid and Adrian Rabiot, Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and although Schalke want him to sign a new deal, he’ll have to take a wage cut. That makes a January move seem all-the-more likely but Huntelaar’s age will undoubtedly concern Arsene Wenger, who isn’t best known for taking the short-term approach in the transfer market.
WILFRIED BONY
Another striking option the Gunners should strongly be considering ahead of the January window is Swansea City striker Wilfried Bony, who was linked with an Arsenal move on summer deadline day:
Since joining the Welsh outfit last summer from Vitesse Arnhem, where he netted 37 times in his ultimate season, the Ivory Coast international has claimed 16 goals in just 34 top flight appearances. Here’s some of the highlights from his inaugural Premier League campaign:
//www.youtube.com/embed/L_zt5akDKGs?autoplay=1
An aggressive , old-fashioned centre-forward who measures in at just over 6 foot, the 25 year-old would fit Arsenal’s lone-striking role well.
But Gary Monk has continually denied Bony is for sale and his scoreless start to the season will put doubts in the minds of the striker’s many suitors. That being said, his £19million release clause represents great value for money.