Liverpool are confident of keeping iconic captain Steven Gerrard at Anfield, even though the midfielder is now free to talk to other clubs, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
The 34-year-old Reds skipper is now in the final six months of his contract with the Merseyside giants, which will allow him to discuss a potential Bosman switches to other interested sides.
There is already rumoured to be a queue in place for the veteran star – New York Red Bulls are one side linked with a swoop – but Liverpool are sure they will keep their local hero.
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Gerrard has been the club’s talisman for the best part of 15 years, yet his performances have been criticised in recent times, with his infamous slip against Chelsea last season a key moment as the Premier League title evaded the club.
A contract offer is believed to be on the table for ‘Stevie G’, yet Liverpool’s owners are reluctant to offer him the salary he currently earns, £140,000-per-week, given his advancing years.
Gerrard is set to return to Rodgers starting XI today against Leicester after sitting out the Swansea game, and when quizzed on whether he’s comfortable with the player’s situation, the Northern Irishman said:
“I think he’s earned that respect if he does (talk to other clubs).” He is quoted by the Daily Mail. “I’ve got a great relationship and communication with Steven. He’s a wonderful player, a wonderful servant to this football club, and in my time here he’s been brilliant for me.
“When I came in here two-and-a-half years ago, everyone asked if he could play my type of football or if his legs had gone. You’ve seen him over the last couple of years. He could have been player of the year last season.
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“I’m managing his game time. He understands my situation of picking the best team and making it fresh as often as we can.”
Despite the Mirror heavily linking Fabian Delph with a move away from Aston Villa in the January transfer window, the England international somewhat surprisingly stayed at the club and put pen to paper on a new and improved four-and-a-half year contract to keep him at Villa Park.
Although Delph showed the sort of loyalty that we don’t see to often with professional footballers these days, did the 25-year-old make the wrong call by staying at Villa? Not many players would shun the chance of joining a Liverpool or a Tottenham Hotspur at present, but that’s exactly what he did in January.
Instead, the box-to-box midfielder decided to stay in the Midlands and fight for Premier League survival. Since Delph signed his new contract at Villa Park, the Villans have lost all three subsequent league games, scoring just once in the process. They have dropped into the relegation zone, sacked Paul Lambert and appointed ex-Tottenham Hotspur interim manager Tim Sherwood – it’s all happening at Aston Villa. It’s fair to say that since the former Leeds man pledged his future at Villa Park, things haven’t exactly gone to plan.
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But in the wake of the managerial change at Villa, there certainly seems to be a renewed sense of optimism and hope surrounding the club. It was plain for all to see that Lambert just wasn’t the right man to take the Villans forward, and, in fact, they were going backwards at a worrying rate of knots.
Tim Sherwood will know it won’t be an easy task to keep Aston Villa in the Premier League, but he certainly talks a great game, and you know he’s sure to give 100% to the cause. The new Villa boss needs all of his senior players to now stand up and be counted – none more so than his stand-in skipper Delph – who has almost single-handedly dragged Villa out of the mire at times this season.
After picking up just one Premier League win in 11 games, they have dropped to 18th in the league table. The last time they tasted victory in the top flight was way back in early December when they saw off bottom-placed Leicester City 2-1 at Villa Park. Since then, they have only managed to score two goals, and have lost seven of those encounters.
Villa’s alarming slump makes you wonder whether Delph, who can undoubtedly play at one of the Premier League’s top clubs, may live to regret his loyal decision to stay at Villa Park. I suppose he’s loved at the club, and he would probably have been a small fish in a big pond elsewhere, which could have possibly swayed his decision to stay.
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It’s imperative for a club the size of Aston Villa that they not only survive the drop, but they kick on and start progressing going forward. And if one thing’s for sure, it’s that if Villa do stay up, you can guarantee that Fabian Delph would have had an awful lot to do with it – as Villa’s standout performer this season has become priceless to the club.
Despite finding themselves drawn against Ligue 1 underdogs AS Monaco in the last sixteen of the Champions League this season – perhaps the kindest tie possible out of the remaining teams left in the tournament – the Gunners somehow go into the second leg desperately clinging onto their European survival.
The Emirates Stadium faithful were certainly not expecting their side to win the entire competition hands down this season, as with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich still going about their business in full force, such a grand ambition would seem unlikely at best.
However, no one within the confines of north London ever expected Arsenal to finish the first match with a 3-1 deficit to the plucky French outfit either. Arsene Wenger’s determined team, which nevertheless includes some of the most high profile names in world football at the moment, simply failed to do themselves justice on the night and now seem to be on the verge of being unceremoniously chucked out of European club football’s most illustrious competition.
With Champions League judgement day fast approaching for the Gunners in their ever persistent attempts to restore their glory of old, should the Emirates faithful start preparing their excuses now for the seemingly inevitable heartache next week, or do Arsenal still in-fact remain possible contenders to prove everybody wrong and actually make it through to the next round?
On the surface it looks unlikely. For one reason or another, Arsenal always seem to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to the Champions League with their latest debacle against Monaco acting as no exception. The French team certainly put in a spirited display but as Wenger’s forward line simply looked knackered the longer the game played out with his defence looking equally stretched and out of place at the back, the Gunners didn’t exactly put up the best of fights.
Wenger’s side now have to win by three clear goals to make it through to the next round, yet despite the backlash of the result labelling such a task as a seemingly impossible one, Arsenal nevertheless still have what it takes to perform an unquestionable miracle next week.
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For as good as the Gunners made them out to be in the first leg, Monaco remain a side that really should be getting turned over in a match like this. If they were in the Premier League, they would hardly be the most threatening proposition for Arsene Wenger to deal with and it’s this type of fearless mentality that his side need to take in to their next match.
They need to fight for the credibility that they have temporarily lost in this battle. Players were speaking to the press about winning the entire competition for their manager before their first match with Monaco had even kicked-off, which whilst proving admirable and commendable on the whole, turned them into a seemingly overconfident bunch in the run up to the ill-fated clash.
If the likes of Alexis Sanchez, and perhaps if he is deemed fit enough to play, Theo Walcott turn up on their very best game though, then the task of scoring three goals is made all the more do-able. With Danny Welbeck also in high spirits after his recent heroics in the FA Cup and the all-important Mesut Ozil affectively pulling the strings for his team-mates, Arsenal simply have to see this tie as a winnable one.
Yes – Wenger’s back four aren’t in the best of shapes at the moment, and yes, Monaco seemingly go into the next leg with one of the best defensive records recorded throughout the group stage, but this nonetheless remains a task that the Gunners can carry out. It’s just going to take some tenacity in front of goal that’s all.
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As Arsenal often fail to perform to their very best level week in, week out however, such psychological problems could invariably affect the team’s chances of progressing to the next round in the Champions League. It all depends on which of Wenger’s sides turn up on the night – the stylishly ruthless outfit that can seemingly put teams to the sword at will, or the nervous off-the-boil team that all too many times have let their manager down in recent years?
If the Gunners can effectively silence their critics for now however, and concentrate on just how winnable this draw appears to be on paper, Arsene Wenger has every honest reason to expect to be on the winning side of this dramatic match-up come the end of next week.
Arsenal’s toothless, pathetic, pointless, sad, tragic and demoralising performance against Monaco on Wednesday took us all by surprise.Let’s face it, even the biggest Arsenal haters expected the Gunners to brush aside what we all believed to be the weakest side left in the Champions League.But it wasn’t to be. Monaco turned up at the Emirates and took advantage of what has already been labelled as the worst performance of Arsenal’s 19 years in charge of the north London club.That said, despite the mountain Arsenal have to climb in order to reach the quarter-finals, a lot of Arsenal fans still believe they can do it. Monaco are a lot better away from home and Arsenal still have the ability to turn on the style and score goals for fun when they put their minds to it.But Infostrada Sports have been quick to dismiss any optimism Arsenal have of still overcoming Monaco by revealing that the Gunners’ chances of progressing have been reduced to just 1.5%. Ouch.
Arsenal fans right now…
And to prove just how unlikely it is for Arsenal to progress, here are things we’re more likely to witness happen instead…
Arsene Wenger successfully doing his zip up
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Abou Diaby making it through a training session
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Not falling over on the platform in Liverpool
Telling the difference between Gibbs and Ox in a line-up
Getting in to the Emirates for less than £60
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Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Aston Villa last weekend has effectively rendered their season over.
All they’ve got to play for is for a spot in next season’s Europa League, even though they do still have a slim – albeit unlikely – chance of finishing in the top four.
Brendan Rodgers’ side caved in towards the end of last season as it look almost nailed on that they’d end their wait for a first ever Premier League crown. Since then, they’ve lost Luis Suarez to Barcelona, Daniel Sturridge to injury and wasted their money on a number of poorly thought out summer signings.
That resulted in the campaign they’re having now, which is a far cry from the ruthlessly attacking, title challenging Liverpool of last season.
Rodgers’ job is now being brought in to question. Can he go on as Reds boss? Well, earlier this week we asked Liverpool fans who they’d like to see in charge of their beloved club next season.
We gave them a list of potential managers – including Rodgers – and asked them to vote each one as a thumbs up or thumbs down.
467 fans took part and had their say. Here are the top five they voted for…
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5. Brendan Rodgers
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So it’s not all anti-Rodgers in Merseyside.
All this talk of a potential Rodgers exit this summer may be a bit premature, and the Anfield faithful aren’t completely done with him yet.
That said, he’s been ousted by four other names, which doesn’t bode particularly well. I’ll stick my neck out and say he wouldn’t come out on top if we ran this exact poll last summer. Still, a year is a long time in football, isn’t it?
4. Carlo Ancelotti
He could be leaving Real Madrid this summer, which might just spark a bit of a free-for-all for his signature.
The former Chelsea boss won the Champions League with Real last season and is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the game. So it’s fair to say Liverpool could do a lot worse in trying to tempt him to Anfield should they feel it’s necessary to replace Rodgers.
But he’s still not the fans’ first choice, which is quite surprising.
3. Diego Simeone
An up and coming manager that guided an up and coming team to a league title (ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid) deserves all the credit he deserves.
Simeone appears to have taken to management like a duck takes to water, so it’s no surprise some of Europe’s top clubs are keeping a close eye on his success at Atletico Madrid.
And it’s even less of a surprise that Liverpool fans would love to see the Argentine in charge at Anfield in the not too distant future.
But tempting him from Spain may prove difficult, as a he signed a new five-year deal with Atletico recently.
Next…
2. Rafael Benitez
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A fairytale appointment, surely?
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The Spaniard was the mastermind behind that Champions League victory over AC Milan in 2005. That instantly gave him legend status at Anfield and he’d undoubtedly be welcomed back with open arms should he decide to go ‘home.’
And it’s not entirely out of the question, either. Benitez’s Napoli future is far from secure and he could well be looking for a new club this summer.
West Ham are thought to be in touch with him over replacing Sam Allardyce, but if Liverpool were to enter the equation there’d be no contest. Sorry, Hammers…
1. Jurgen Klopp
Of course he’s the fans’ number one choice. Who wouldn’t want the German in charge of their club?
Klopp announced last week that he’d be leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer, which has subsequently got scores of clubs across Europe assessing their managerial options. West Ham have reportedly been told to “do one” after approaching Klopp earlier this week, but surely Liverpool would have a better chance?
The sheer fact that Klopp is going to be available in the summer will probably have the Anfield hierarchy wondering whether it’d be worth giving Rodgers the chop in favour for a Klopp revolution.
We’ll have to wait and see, but Klopp is the fans’ choice and the club would be mad not to consider bringing him in…
This evening’s UEFA Champions League final is shaping up to be one for the ages. La Liga giants Barcelona will go up against Italian underdogs Juventus, who shockingly ousted Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
The two teams last met in the 2002-03 Champions League quarter-final, where Juventus won 3-2 on aggregate against a Barca side captained by current manager Luis Enrique.
Gianluigi Buffon was also playing in goal for The Old Lady that day, so needless to say Enrique will be looking for his side to carry out some vengeance against the Italian keeper.
This weekend’s final will match up one of Europe’s best offensive sides with one of the top defenses. Both Enrique and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri are seeking the title in their first seasons with their respective clubs. The match is an opportunity for Barcelona to seal their reputation as the most formidable attackers in football, but also for Juventus to rock the Spanish boat with a strong defensive showing.
With so much to prove for both sides, here’s five things to watch for in the Champions League Final…
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A guaranteed treble
Both Barcelona and Juventus would complete the rare treble with a win on Saturday, having each won their respective League and Cup titles.
It would be the first treble for the Italians, and second for the Spanish club. No other team in history has ever achieved the treble twice.
No matter the result, history is in the making this year; it just depends who will put the icing on the cake.
More records for Messi?
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has gone his whole career being compared to Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two are currently tied for the most Champions League goals in history with 77 apiece.
A goal Saturday would push Messi to the top spot as well as make him the only player to have scored in three Champions League finals.
A missing piece for Juventus
You might hear a strange noise during the match: the growling of Luis Suarez’s stomach.
Juve star defender Giorgio Chiellini, whom Suarez famously bit during the 2014 World Cup, will sit out with a calf injury.
Andrea Barzagli will line up in place of Chiellini, but it will be his first return to competition since May 23 after being sidelined for muscular problems.
Sharing is caring for Barcelona
Messi isn’t the only problem The Old Lady has to worry about. Barca have developed a deadly three-pronged attack this season through the combination of Messi, Suarez and Neymar.
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The trio have accounted for 25 of Barcelona’s 28 Champions League goals. They don’t do it all on their own, however.
Eleven players on Enrique’s squad have contributed at least one assist this year, a nod to the team’s incredible work distribution.
Pogba on the prowl
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Though often talked about as a defence-oriented team, Juventus have plenty offensive weapons of their own.
Among talents like Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, midfielder Paul Pogba has emerged as the side’s key attacker.
The French youngster has already notched one goal and three assists in Juventus’ Champions League run, but his main strengths lie in the dribbling and long-range shooting which see him have an impact from pretty much anywhere on the pitch.
One of the main transfer sagas this summer has been Liverpool’s public pursuit of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke, with no-one currently truly sure of whom the Belgian will be lining up for next season.
Tim Sherwood’s Villa are holding out for the £32.5m release fee in the player’s contract to be met, but the Reds are determined to get their main target on a much cheaper deal.
Benteke has been the main man at Villa for several seasons now, his goals and overall physical presence are the sole reason they have survived relegation battle after relegation battle. Since his £7m move from Genk in 2012, the striker has scored an impressive 42 league goals in 82 games – a decent record for a player who spent most of his time working under the most defensive manager in football, Paul Lambert.
Should Benteke leave there will be a massive hole that needs filling and Villa face a very difficult task finding someone who can contribute to the side the way he has, but is also interested in joining a club who will most likely be involved in another relegation battle.
However there is one man who is standing out as the perfect replacement… Step forward Blackburn Rovers striker, Rudy Gestede.
Although the player has not actually been targeted by the Villains as of yet, he is being heavily linked to a Premier League move with the likes of Swansea, Norwich and Watford all interested in Benin international.
And Tim Sherwood would be mad not to get involved in the chase.
The 26-year-old has impressed at Blackburn, scoring 34 goals in 65 appearances for the club, and would certainly be interested in a move to the top flight.
The player would be suited to top flight football. When his side faced Liverpool in the FA Cup, Gestede was a complete nightmare all game for his opposing defenders and was one of the best players on the pitch.
He would reportedly be available for around £6m this summer, offering a cheap alternative to the likes of Charlie Austin – whom QPR are demanding a vast fee for.
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The cheap sum would prove very beneficial, allowing extra funds to spent on other areas of the team, including the centre of midfield and defence.
The striker possesses similar characteristics to Benteke with his aerial ability and keen eye for goal the real strong points of his game. He would fit right into the tactics Villa currently use, allowing the side to continue to play direct football up to Gestede for him to bring other players into the game or carve out chances for himself.
Whoever steps into the void, the club will have a difficult task ahead of them. But Rudy Gestede certainly has all the necessary skills and, at a fraction of Benteke’s price, certainly offers a value option.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Newcastle United are interested in a January loan move for Arsenal forward Theo Walcott.
What’s the story?
Newcastle have only scored 19 goals in 21 English Premier League matches this season and if they’re to stay safe from relegation back to the Championship then they’ll need to add some attacking firepower to Rafa Benitez’s side in January.
One player they’re reported to be interested in is out of favour Arsenal star Theo Walcott.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who say the Magpies are one of seven top-flight sides who are interested in a loan move for the England international.
Is he the answer to Newcastle’s attacking woes?
Still got it?
Despite still being rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, Walcott is very much a fringe player at the Emirates these days, despite performing well more often than not when given the opportunity.
He’s failed to start a single Premier League match all season, relegated to Europa League and League Cup duty by Arsene Wenger.
In those competitions he’s done the job for the Gunners, scoring three and assisting five in Europe and helping Arsenal into the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.
He still has a cutting edge that would enhance the Newcastle attack with proven creativity and goalscoring skills at the level the Magpies require.
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Bereft of other options and shopping on a budget, a loan move for the Arsenal man could be the perfect January move for Newcastle fans.
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United are interested in signing Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen during the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
West Ham boss David Moyes is keen to strengthen his midfield this month, and it is understood that the Scot will be backed by the board in the transfer market.
A number of midfielders have been linked with a move to the London Stadium, but according to the Daily Mail, Allen is Moyes’ leading transfer target in that area.
The report claims that West Ham are willing to pay £15m for the Wales international, but face a fight to convince Stoke to sell one of their key players at this stage of the season.
The Potters are desperate to keep hold of Allen, although it is thought that the 27-year-old is interested in a move to London due to Stoke’s troubles in the Premier League this term.
Would Allen be a good signing for West Ham?
Stoke are not exactly enjoying the best of seasons, but Allen has had another extremely consistent campaign for the Potters.
The central midfielder has scored once and provided four assists in 20 Premier League appearances this term, and is now very much an established performer at this level.
It is worth remembering that Allen played over 130 times for Liverpool before joining Stoke, and he scored six goals in all competitions for his current club last season.
West Ham are in need of a ball-playing midfielder that is capable of getting around the park, and there is no question that Allen fits the bill.
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It will be difficult for the Hammers to convince Stoke to sell, but if they manage to secure a deal; it could turn out to be a very smart piece of business from Moyes.
Liverpool are a team who can only play football one way: Jurgen Klopp’s side is built to attack.
That might be more by luck than design in some ways.
This is a squad whose best players are found up front. Their front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and the on-fire Mohamed Salah would leave even the best defences in the world sweating at the prospect of facing them. Only Manchester City – their opponents in the Premier League this weekend – have scored more.
The sale of Philippe Coutinho clearly weakens the Reds’ attack, however. The so-called Fab Four has morphed into a Thrilling Three. Missing their now-departed string-puller Liverpool’s attacking trident are perhaps that bit more rabid and unrestrained, more geared towards their manager’s lust for animalistic pressing without having to worry about the slower, more considered play of Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta stunt double. But they’re probably that bit less effective, too.
Manchester City is a tough test for any team, but this season it’s more than that. Often a write-off rather than an opportunity for points, plenty of sides have come up against Pep Guardiola’s team this season seeking to limit the damage and get out of there without a dent in their goal difference. Such teams have often suffered even more harm as a result.
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But Liverpool can’t do that. They come up against the league leaders and top scorers with the worst defensive record in the top four. Their recourse can’t be a Newcastle-style attempt to beat City with 11 men behind the ball, but with a sparkling display of counter-attacking football featuring some of the brightest attacking talent in world football – though with the added solidity of Virgil van Dijk, they might be better protected at the other end, too.
The trouble is, City don’t just have the best attack in the league, they also have the best defence, too. Only two teams have scored more than once against them in the league all season: one was West Brom, whose late consolation to make the score 3-2 at the Hawthorns was down to a defensive mix-up, and the other was Stoke City, who still managed to lose by five clear goals.
But despite that defensive record, there’s still a view – though it is much more hidden than it was a few months ago – that City’s defence isn’t as strong as it could or should be. That’s still true: it is the weakest part of their team, though that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is weak. We have seen, however, that sitting deep and attempting to come away with a 0-0 draw – as Manchester United did at Anfield earlier this season – isn’t a course of action which takes points from City, but that being brave and attacking them sometimes does. Those who have been bravest have come closest.
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This weekend, Liverpool might find that they are the Premier League team who are actually best equipped to defeat this Manchester City side for the first time this season. If Guardiola’s side are susceptible to anything, it appears they are to a pacey counter-attack and a front three who press mercilessly. They also score a surprising amount of goals from crosses and set-pieces, which are traditionally problems for Klopp’s Liverpool, but that may well be helped – though surely not solved – by the addition of Van Dijk.
City have, this season, scored the most goals from open play, the most goals from set-pieces and the most from both inside and outside the box. They have simply scored the most goals. And yet, it is Liverpool who have scored the most from counter-attacks, scoring seven times on the break to City’s two.
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Whilst that might be explained by the growing trend of teams who simply sit back against City, and thus don’t allow the league leaders a chance to counter-attack, this should also give Liverpool hope. The Reds are clearly well-equipped to give Guardiola’s team a problem at the back, and perhaps they may not need to fear the counter-attack as much as their opponents do.
It’s a risky tactic to play City at their own game, but it might just be the best way to beat them. For Klopp’s Liverpool, however, their defensive record looks like it leaves them no other choice. And that could be to their benefit.