This week saw a vital week for the Lions as they could pretty much make themselves safe with two home games before the F.A. Cup semi final against Wigan this Saturday. They are slowly edging themselves to safety, but it’s slow and painful to watch.
Saturdays 1-1 draw at Birmingham will be seen as a very good point as they are in decent form. and other teams around us didn’t pick up points.
So attention turned to one of our games in hand, Tuesday nights game at home to fellow relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday. This saw a real smash and grab for the Owls as they somehow left 2-1 winners after a last minute goal from Chris Maguire.
The Lions were one up after just a minute with Jimmy Abdou firing in from close range after great work from Chris Taylor. Wednesday didn’t pose a threat until a free kick just before half time. Miguel Llera’s shot found its way somehow through the wall, meaning that Davis Forde was found scrambling to the other-side of his goal, and failing, 1-1 at half time.
The chances continued as Jermaine Easter looked certain to score on a one-v-one but he just fired it at Chris Kirkland’s legs. Kirkland then had to be at full stretch to keep out a acrobatic Sean St Ledger shot minutes later.
It looked like the Lions would have to settle for a draw, meaning they would be six points clear with most teams still having to play five games, meaning they were very close, if not safe. But no… Maguire flicks in for the winner in injury time.
Yes it was a sickener but there were some positives from the game, the Lions played well at times and that by the time we kick off against Wigan we will have two games in hand again, yes, it’s better to have points on the board, but it’s a better position than most teams.
But one major negative was the striker wonder that is Rob Hulse.
When he first came in he was slated but I thought “Give him a chance”. His chance has been and gone, he has to go down as one of Jackett’s worst ever signings, making the Darius Henderson sale look even more confusing.
He’s a big striker who does not jump, use his body to try and shield the ball, and frankly, walks around like he doesn’t want to be there, an absolute disgrace.
We’ve brought back Shaun Batt from Orient this week, now in theory Batt should be nowhere near the team but when he came on for Hulse he changed the game! And unlike Hulse he looks like he actually cared and put in some effort!
The only reason Hulse will play at Wembley is that we basically have no one else.
Now to Wigan.. To be honest, it is just a day out, we are expected to get beat, if we somehow end up in the final! It’s just a humongous bonus.
My predicted team for Wembley.
Forde
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As reported by The Sun, Manchester United attack Marcus Rashford is set to delay signing a new contract at Old Trafford.
What’s the story?
The 20-year-old hasn’t started for United for over a month and has made just a handful of starts in 2018 so far, with Jose Mourinho turning to the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata instead.
Nonetheless, the club are reported by The Sun to be keen on renewing his contract at the club, even though he has two years left on his current deal, which earns him £70,000-a-week.
The player himself though is less keen to commit at this stage say the paper, with his future in Mourinho’s plans unclear heading into the summer transfer window when more attacking signings could be made, further destabilising his position in the squad.
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Is he being unreasonable?
Rashford is at a criticial stage of his footballing development at just 20 years of age and needs regular football to progress as a player, but he needs to produce on a more consistent basis to be considered one of the first names on the teamsheet.
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Mourinho could give him more regular opportunities and perhaps should over the next while to ensure he doesn’t become too disgruntled, but the player also needs to show the character to deliver in big matches on a regular basis, just like he did against Liverpool in March.
Ultimately the onus is on the club to ensure he doesn’t become too unsettled, he’s a massive talent and they must ensure they are able to secure his future.
Swansea have had a bit of an up and down season. Garry Monk has added a directness to his team this year, and they’ve recorded a few good wins as a result. Last season they were involved in a bit of a relegation battle – though they never really looked like going down, especially not after Monk got the job. And this season they sit 10 points behind Tottenham and Southampton above them, and 18 points above the drop zone – smack bang in mid table.
Losing Wilfried Bony, their top scorer, doesn’t seem to have affected their form too much as they’re still losing the games you’d expect them to lose, and winning the games you’d expect them to win.
For the first half of the season, Gomis had been playing second fiddle to Bony. The French international hadn’t managed to score many goals for the club, and wasn’t getting the game time he felt he deserved. The BBC even reported that he told French TV that he was considering leaving if he didn’t start playing soon.
But Monk hasn’t lost faith in him, and he may be about to reap the rewards.
Gomis’ latest appearance on the scoresheet was the only goal of the game, coming right at the end of the match at the weekend against Aston Villa. If he can come up with more goals as important as that strike, then Swansea might progress even further next season.
Without Bony, the Swans were tipped to struggle, but Gomis might actually be the perfect replacement.
One of the reasons he was Bony’s deputy is simply that they can’t really play in the same side. They are both big, strong men who lead the line well, they are both agile and direct, and crucially they both have a keen eye for goal – they are finishers.
Bony has been hot property for a while, and perhaps it was the plan all along to let him go. Gomis was brought in over the summer as backup, but maybe it was expected that he would be the man to replace the big Ivorian. Maybe they even planned to let him go in January, when the big guns of the Premier League are worried that their current squad won’t win them the title, and are prepared to shell out over the odds for a proven Premier League striker. That’s exactly what Bony is, and that’s exactly what City have done.
Maybe it wasn’t quite as calculated as that, but I wouldn’t put it past Huw Jenkins. The Swansea chairman has made great decision after great decision in his time at the helm of the Welsh club, and now they might be without Bony, but they have a ready-made replacement and a reported £28million in the bank.
Usually losing your best player means you need to change your style of play, even the best teams with their array of talent can’t always replace their stars – City wouldn’t have their power if they lost Toure, Liverpool their pace without Sterling or Sturridge, and when Mourinho came back to Chelsea he played a much different style of football, thus leaving a certain Juan Mata out of the team.
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But Swansea don’t look like they’ll miss Bony all that much. They have the same setup as before, and they will play in the same way, and if Gomis starts to fire in the same way as Bony, Swansea will just continue their progression up the Premier League.
In fact, when the Swans lost Roberto Martinez they didn’t lose their momentum, instead they brought in Paulo Sousa who took them even further. When they lost him, neither did they lose forward momentum either, Brendan Rodgers brought them to the Premier League. Nor did they lose it when Brendan Rodgers had his head turned by Liverpool – they’re still a top division club and they’re still going in the right direction.
It doesn’t look like they’ll lose it now that Bony has left either.
Liverpool fans will no doubt be losing sleep following yesterday’s announcement of the club’s rather dire financial situation. The Anfield club has released figures reporting that their debt has increased to £87million, and is now amid a painful hangover from their cavalier spending spree whilst former bosses Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish were at the helm.
It’s certainly been coming; you can’t expect to fork out £35million for Andy Carroll without it biting you in the rump somewhere along the line. Of course, the club has learnt its lesson regarding overzealous transfer bids, but Liverpool are now in a situation that could prove difficult to get out of, and has every chance of becoming a downward spiral unless it is addressed quickly.
It is not only the Andy Carroll deal that has crippled the club; a number of their recent investments are yet to pay off, and arguably never will. Stewart Downing may be back to his best or at least back to being slightly better, but was his best ever worth £20million? His record of nine goals and ten assists in 63 Premier League appearances whilst donning an Aston Villa jersey is hardly what you’d call inspiring form.
Similarly, Jordan Henderson had a couple of successful seasons at Sunderland, but in no way has he justified his £16million move to Anfield either before or after the transfer. Perhaps it is wrong to judge a club on its past failings, but this season, the £15million investment in Joe Allen and the £11million transfer of Fabio Borini also appear to have backfired.
Now the situation has become rather more difficult however, as Liverpool have a number of players of their books who simply aren’t good enough, with in some cases such as Andy Carroll’s, absolutely no resale value, and furthermore a serious lack of finance to turn the club’s fortunes around as they squander in mid table, some distance away from the top four.
Furthermore, the wage structure is arguably the most concerning issue. 70% of Liverpool’s total income is spent on players’ and staff wages, which has lead to Managing Director Ian Ayre stating that the club will now “bring in talented players on sensible contracts”, and deals such as Joe Cole’s 100k per week for being a lackluster bench warmer are to become a thing of the past.
But the fact Carroll is on a 80k per week contract is truly worrying considering he’s unwanted by Brendan Rodgers, and although West Ham are currently covering their loanee’s salary, unless the striker’s future is settled in the summer, it will be yet another financial burden placed upon the Anfield club next season.
The British revolution at Liverpool clearly hasn’t worked. Although it is an admirable ideal to build a roster based around home-grown talent, the nature of the market has made their transfer fees unreasonable, and if there’s one lesson to be taken from the England national team’s recent failings of the golden generation, it’s that the general spread of talent regarding English players is simply not comparable to the likes of Italy, Spain and Germany, who have far much more quality in depth in their national sides.
Ian Ayre has also announced a new dawn in regards to the club’s transfer policy, but it needs to be a rather shrewd and quick revelation to turn around Liverpool’s domestic form. The club are set for another year of Europa League football next season, and unless Brendan Rodgers can get the absolute best out of his current roster, Liverpool will continue in the years to come to miss out on the riches that the Champions League provides.
Of course, the elephant in the room and the simple solution is to sell Luis Suarez. He’s one of the club’s top earners, and furthermore his reported £50million price tag would alone cover half of the £87million debt. But that resolution comes with its own set of headaches. The Uruguay international is the sole reason Brendan Rodgers’ inaugural season hasn’t become a rather embarrassing affair, and his 21 Premier League goals have been invaluable whilst the Reds have spent much of their current campaign without a proper strike force.
So perhaps selling the side’s best asset isn’t the answer, but even selling some of their lesser assets also appears to be rather unrealistic. As previously mentioned, the likes of Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll simply aren’t fit for purpose, but their inflated transfer fees make selling them on an incredibly difficult challenge, and similarly, with such a young squad where the majority of back-up players are under the age of 23, as are many of the first team, the club are in no position to start selling their senior personnel.
Sometimes it is impossible to go forward without taking a step backwards, but it seems that Liverpool are running out of time, and too many more backward steps will seriously endanger the club’s future. Leeds United, one of English football’s biggest institutions, have fallen by the wayside as their performances on the pitch failed to equate to the financial backing off the pitch, and similarly, Portsmouth are now in freefall after suffering the backlash from their lavish spending and irresponsible contractual arrangements which they are still paying for.
Perhaps the comparison is a little over the top, the financial situation at Anfield is worrying, but there is no reason to believe the club are on the brink of destruction. However the dangers need to be highlighted of what will happen if the monetary issues aren’t properly addressed. Similarly, the longer the club remain out of the Champions League the more real the danger becomes.
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I do not pretend to know all the answers, and I’m rather glad that I’m not in a position where it’s required to find them. Liverpool have made some steps in the right direction, with Brendan Rodgers making some decent January acquisitions in Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, who have added to the squad without breaking the bank, but there are still some harsh realities upon the horizon that the club have to deal with.
In the summer, Pepe Reina will be on his way to Barcelona, whilst spiritual leader Jamie Carragher is hanging up his boots. Similarly, hanging on to Luis Suarez may be a difficult task, and the first team cannot continue to be reliant upon Steven Gerrard in the middle of the park, as the England man enters his twilight years.
Finally, a rather pressing issue is the financial fair play laws set to come into effect next season. As it currently stands, Liverpool are well in breach of the new rules, which limits net losses to £35million per year. Getting in sync in time and avoiding subsequent punishment will be the club’s most important challenge to address.
A rotated Liverpool side could only manage a draw in the English Premier League on Saturday, playing out a 0-0 stalemate with city rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby.
With all eyes on Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg with Manchester City, yesterday’s match was something of a distraction for Jurgen Klopp, reflected with five changes made to his starting eleven.
The performance suffered as a result, especially in attack, with the Reds failing to create as many chances or be as clinical in front of goal with the likes of Mohamed Salah not in the side.
Some regular starters did play though. Jordan Henderson was one, but fans didn’t enjoy his display, criticising the midfielder for ponderous forward play that left them frustrated.
The Liverpool captain is suspended for the upcoming City clash, so the supporters disappointed with his weekend performance will get a reprieve mid-week, but will his absence be a detriment to their performance at the Etihad?
Manchester United were held to a surprise goalless draw to League Two new boys Cambridge United in their FA Cup fourth round tie a few weeks ago . Whilst Man Utd were lacklustre throughout the 90 minutes and lacked that cutting edge, there has been a lot of criticism about the team which seems like a knee-jerk reaction.
Fans on radio phone-ins and social media have been extremely critical of Louis Van Gaal and the player’s performances so far this season but it is hard to read too much into a one off fixture like this. You have to remember that Cambridge played out of their skins and probably won’t be able to replicate this type of performance again, particularly in tonight’s replay at Old Trafford. In a small cut up ground like the Abbey Stadium, Man United’s foreign superstars would be extremely unfamiliar to these types of surroundings, the occasion and the atmosphere.
To smaller teams, the FA Cup is a completely different kettle of fish to what players such as Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo are used to, which makes it difficult for them to play the way they want to. The fact is United managed to scrape through – albeit only to a replay – but are still in with a fantastic chance of lifting the FA Cup come May.
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Tonight’s replay shouldn’t present many problems for Louis Van Gaal’s side, with the occasion completely different to that of the tie at the Abbey. Add to that the fact Louis Van Gaal is almost certain to play another near full strength side means United are extremely likely to line-up against either Preston or Sheffield United in the fifth round. An away trip to either of these League One sides will be tough, but Man United should still have the fire power in their team to overcome this tie, whether it be on the night, or back at Old Trafford.
With Man City and Chelsea both knocked-out by lower league opposition in the fourth round, United have automatically been labelled as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, alongside Arsenal and Liverpool. Van Gaal knows he has a great chance to win a trophy in his first season at Old Trafford, and experiences such as the one at the Abbey Stadium can only help his team become familiar to what the FA Cup means.
One man that United could have done with is Captain Wayne Rooney. The 29-year-old is the club’s top scorer so far this season and has plenty of experience to know what the FA Cup is all about and how to avoid a giant killing. Van Gaal made a mistake by not including Rooney in the match day squad for the first game, but it’s a mistake that is unlikely to be repeated, increasing United’s chances of going all the way.
The Red Devils haven’t been able to get their hands on the FA Cup since defeating Millwall 3-0 way back in 2004, when a young Cristiano Ronaldo helped them secure the trophy. With the Premier League’s top two already out of the competition, Van Gaal’s side won’t get a better chance of putting this statistic right, especially with a kind draw like the one that awaits them in the fifth round.
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It’s hard work being a footballer in England. While the financial reward of playing in the Premier League is almost impossible to resist, the pressure that comes with the job is like no other. I suppose dealing with the immense burden is a requirement of the position, but many a star player has failed to produce when it matters.
It happens. A player is bought for an inflated amount of money. The pressure is on to succeed; fans on your back questioning your value, the public eye stuck to you like a leech. The player fails to perform and is subsequently torn apart by the bloodthirsty press. The player moves to pastures new and explodes into life. Maybe it is the Premier League that is cursed with wasting talents. Maybe you have to hold certain personal characteristics to cope with the pressure that English football brings. Maybe you aren’t in the wrong league, you are just at the wrong club. In some cases, it is not the players who are to blame. Managers have often placed world class talent on the bench when they should be on the field. All of these possibilities are covered with these 15 men whose talents were simply wasted in the Premier League. While some are still world class athletes, others have faded into relative obscurity, failing to produce their talent when it came to crunch time.
Click on Gerald Pique to unveil the 15
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It is easy to forget how impressive Danny Ings was during his debut Premier League campaign.
In the 2014-15 season, with Burnley, Ings scored 11 goals from 35 league matches, but despite that, he was unable to keep afloat a Clarets side that simply hadn’t been invested in sufficiently.
He was hot property that summer as his Turfmoor contract ran down and Liverpool got what was regarded as a decent deal at the time, for a young English striker who had scored goals in the top flight.
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Yet, as the frontman valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt approaches the end of his third season at Anfield, his career has stalled due to a bout of horrible injuries and the changing face of the Reds attack in his absence.
If he is fit, a summer move looks all but inevitable and Newcastle United were one side who reportedly showed a loan interest in January, so they may come back again.
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The Magpies have struggled for goals this season but if Rafa Benitez went into next term with Dwight Gayle, a revitalised Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ings at his disposal, surely that would change?
Well, that’s what we’re asking you; would the former Burnley man be a good fit in the North East? Let us know by voting in the poll below…
The sacking culture in the Premier League has been somewhat subdued this season.
However, the recent sacking of Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock, followed by Alan Irvine’s departure from the Hawthorns means that clubs are now looking to act if they find that their teams are struggling at the wrong end of the table.
It came as no real surprise when both Alan Irvine and Neil Warnock were removed from their managerial posts recently. Although it was probably the right decision for both clubs, further managerial movement in the Premier League shouldn’t be expected.
Alan Pardew’s reign at Newcastle United ended as he displayed the biggest vote of no confidence in Newcastle owner Mike Ashley by leaving Tyneside for Selhurst Park. Leaving St James’ Park means that there is a current vacancy at Newcastle United, meaning that another Premier League manager could well be leaving their current job do work under Ashley. Hull City manager Steve Bruce was tipped as the immediate favourite to succeed Alan Pardew. Rather bizarrely, his poor run of form at Hull City also meant that he was one of the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.
Steve Bruce has often said that he was a Newcastle United fan when growing up and the idea of leading a club you support must be a very exciting prospect. However, Bruce has recently stated that he wishes to stay at Hull and guide them to safety. After their encouraging victory over Everton on New Year’s Day, Bruce will now be looking to push up the table with Hull City, leaving Newcastle to search elsewhere for Pardew’s replacement.
In terms of other potential sackings in the Premier League, it is hard to predict whether there may actually be any more managerial departures this season. Nigel Pearson is doing all he can at Leicester City and it looks as if the players are buying in to what Pearson wants and expects from his team. Although they have experienced some poor form, they look like a unified group of players and they have more of a chance of surviving under Pearson than they do with anyone else. The same story applies at Burnley with Sean Dyche and Queens Park Rangers with Harry Redknapp. These clubs have managers that are more than capable of getting their teams out of trouble and owners should respect that.
The only manager that seems to be under any sort of pressure in the Premier League at the moment is Everton’s Roberto Martinez. His team simply haven’t performed to the best of their capabilities for a while now and their defence has been all over the place in recent weeks. Although the Spaniard is under pressure, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright is no fool. He will appreciate the job Martinez did for the Toffees last season and will know that Martinez has the managerial ability to turn his team’s fortunes around.
Overall, it looks unlikely that the recent departures of Irvine and Warnock will lead to any further sackings in the near future. This is clearly good news for the Premier League and the League Managers Association as clubs are now choosing to stand by their managers rather than relying on a ‘grass is greener’ ideology that has shown the potential to hugely backfire over the years.
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Encouraging stability and a managerial identity at clubs is something most fans will want to see at Premier League level and hopefully the 2014/15 season will provide this.
David Moyes has revealed he would like to coach abroad one day, with the German Bundesliga his preferred choice.
The Scot’s achievements with Everton have seen him linked with top Premier League clubs, most prominently the Manchester United as successor to Sir Alex Ferguson.
But the 49-year-old admits he is fascinated with German football and entertains hopes of coaching a Bundesliga side when he leaves Goodison Park.
“I always had the hope of being a coach abroad,” Moyes told France Football.
“If I had the choice I would probably go to Germany. In part because of the mentality, which is similar to mine.
“I’m also fascinated by what happens in German football. They seem to have found a way of producing young players.”
The Everton boss is particularly impressed with Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund, who are beginning to have a big impact in the Champions League:
“Look at Borussia Dortmund. I saw them against Manchester City this season. They were fantastic. They put this incredible intensity on their opponents to break the tempo. It adds a new tactical level.”
The former Preston North End manager added he would be interested in learning about how the game is played in South America.
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“If I was not working as a coach, I think I would decide to go to South America, to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, to see how they train young people out there.
“That would be my project – to understand football better.”
Having joined the Toffees in 2002, Moyes is currently the third longest serving manager in the Premier League.