Dirk Kuyt is facing an Anfield exit this summer as Kenny Dalglish looks to revamp his Liverpool playing squad, if reports in The Telegraph are to be believed.
The Netherlands international, who is a popular player on Merseyside, has played for The Reds for six years, but with first-team opportunities becoming increasingly limited, may well be shown the door when the transfer window reopens.
Other older players, such as Maxi Rodriguez and Fabio Aurelio, may also face the axe as Liverpool look to improve and challenge for a top-four spot next term.
Meanwhile, former Reds boss Roy Evans has stated that Dalglish should be given the full backing of the board, players and supporters if the club is to get out of its current poor run of results.
“You have to be positive,” Evans told the Liverpool Echo.
“You have to stick together in times like this from the players, to the manager, the backroom staff and the supporters.
“It is always a difficult time when you go through periods like this as a manager. Especially as, being manager of a club like Liverpool, you know what it means to the fans. They are suffering at the moment, and having a hard time of it.
“The league position is not what anyone at the club wants it to be, make no mistake, but my message to the supporters would be to stick together, and try to stay behind the team for the rest of the season.
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“Because the team, the players, the manager, they need fans’ support at times like this,” he concluded.
It may be a new Premier League season but some things never change; Sunday’s predominant instalment of déjà vu being yet another false dawn from ever-also-rans Arsenal.
Of course, how you finish the season is far more important than how you start and the 2-0 defeat to West Ham was just the first of 38 games in Arsenal’s pursuit of the English title. If there’s a silver lining to be taken from the Gunners’ tepid opening day display, rendering them rock bottom of the Premier League table, it’s that reigning champions Chelsea didn’t fare much better – drawing 2-2 with Swansea City at Stamford Bridge after going down to ten men.
Yet, following a pre-season in which the Gunners beat all of their opponents to produce an aggregate score line of 15-1 – seeing them claim such vastly coveted accolades as the Asia Trophy, the Community Shield and their self-invented Emirates Cup – amid a transfer window in which they’ve spent a paltry £10million on just one player, you can’t help but think Arsenal have entered the 2015/16 campaign naively; expecting the Premier League’s rank and file to simply bow down to the might of their midfield and the gap between themselves the other title contenders to be closed by the sheer presence of Petr Cech.
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If Arsene Wenger needed any proof, the Hammers provided it in abundance on Sunday. Petr Cech isn’t the answer to all of the north London’s problems – in fact, he created some of his own with the ill-fated decision to try and collect the looping Dimitri Payet free-kick that resulted in West Ham’s first goal. Clearly, Arsenal’s flaws stem a little deeper than simply the level of quality between their sticks.
He may not have committed an individual error like Arsenal’s debuted No.1 or a financially unjustifiable display like £42.2million signing Mesut Ozil, who is still trying to claw his way out of Reece Oxford’s pocket, but Francis Coquelin’s performance against the Irons really disappointed me – and created further doubts over whether he’s a realistic long-term option for Arsenal or was simply caught in a zeitgeist last season.
West Ham’s game plan wasn’t a particularly complicated one; three holding players to bog down the midfield with £12million signing Dimitri Payet playing just ahead and chipping into the defensive side of things whenever possible. The former Marseille man should have spent the afternoon struggling for room to breathe, yet he outmuscled, outpaced and outthought his countryman to run riot at the Emirates, completing 56 touches, 42 passes, four successful dribbles and two created chances.
Indeed, when Arsenal are pinning opponents back, Coquelin sweeps up loose balls with ease. Likewise, when the Gunners are compact in midfield – their 2-0 win over Manchester City last season being the predominant example – the ‘detective’ marshals his zone simply yet effectively. But against the Hammers, the north London outfit needed authoritative physicality to snub out counter-attacks before they encroached the halfway line, and in that regard the 24-year-old abundantly failed to deliver.
He actually finished the match, albeit substituted before the hour mark, without making a single tackle; the antithesis of the aggression required not just in the Premier League, but particularly against a West Ham outfit boasting brute force in every department. I don’t hold this against Coquelin – I certainly don’t think he’s a bad footballer or even a bad defensive midfielder. The fact is, in terms of midfield muscle, he’s currently the best Arsenal have.
Likewise, the Gunners lacked real venom in the final third. Much of the post-match analysis was devoted to how West Ham’s midfield funnel had forced the Gunners into attacking from less habitual wide positions. But even when the ball did find its way into good areas (as you can see from the heat map below, they spent a fair amount of time in the visitor’s penalty box) that cutting edge, that clinical streak you’d quickly associate with Chelsea’s Diego Costa or Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, was lacking.
There’s been a big debate about whether Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott should be Arsene Wenger’s first choice of centre-forward this season. Well, both featured against West Ham and managed just two shots on target between them. Neither have ever truly reached the realms of prolific throughout their careers and that really showed on Sunday; although both are relatively dependable when converting chances, they don’t possess the skill or ingenuity to create their own in the manner Chelsea, City or Man United’s striking options can.
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In my opinion, the underwhelming displays from Coquelin, Giroud and Walcott represent the problem areas requiring Wenger’s attention before September 1st. No doubt, the Gunners are stronger, in healthier shape and more competitive than last year, even if they didn’t show it against West Ham, but they’re still a few vital ingredients short of a title-winning side.
Signing Petr Cech, regardless of his world-class ability, simply doesn’t pave over all the cracks. If Arsenal are to avoid another also-ran campaign, Wenger needs to pull off some late masterstrokes in the transfer market.
An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips…
What’s the talk?
According to The Mirror, the Magpies are preparing to make a move for the defensive midfielder in the summer transfer window, with Manchester United also keeping tabs on the England international.
The report claims that the Toon are able to offer him £120k per week, which is a significant bump from the £25k-a-week he is currently earning at Elland Road.
Leeds are said to want a fee in the region of £50m for their star midfielder but it remains to be seen whether or not Newcastle are willing to meet that amount.
Rock
Italian legend Andrea Pirlo previously dubbed Phillips a “rock”, and that is exactly what the 26-year-old would be for Eddie Howe at St James’ Park next season.
The Leeds midfielder was once described as a “destroyer” by Steve McClaren, and his impressive statistics in the Premier League back up that praise. In the top flight last term, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.21 for the Whites across 29 appearances.
He averaged a monstrous 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game, also winning 5.3 individual duels per match in the middle of the park. Over the last 365 days, Phillips ranks in the 99th and 97th percentiles for pressures and blocks per 90 respectively in Europe’s top five leagues, which further goes to show how strong he is at the defensive side of his game in midfield.
The Leeds machine is exceptional at screening the back four, as shown by his impressive statistics, and that is why he can be Howe’s rock next season. Phillips could sit at the base of the midfield and provide protection for the likes of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, for example, having more license to get forward and join in with the forwards.
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Along with his ability to cut out opposition attacks, he has also shown that he can start some of his own with his passing quality. Last season, he created 1.2 key passes per game and created a whopping five ‘big chances’ despite playing in a number six role.
With 4.7 long passes per match in 2020/21, he has the passing range to open up defences with his creative play, which shows that he offers quality at both ends of the pitch. Therefore, he would be a fantastic signing for the Toon, and he would surely be a player that Howe would love to have on Tyneside for the foreseeable future.
AND in other news, NUFC had an “absolute steal” with £13m “colossus” whose value has doubled in 3 months…
Leeds United are tracking FC Koln defender Timo Hubers ahead of a possible summer swoop, according to The Daily Mail.
The Lowdown: Hubers profiled
The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Bundesliga over recent months, starting 12 of the last 13 league games for Koln.
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His contract runs until 2023, and the 6 foot 2 centre-back appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation.
He was named as a substitute against Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig earlier in the season, and it seems as if the new Leeds manager could be working with the German next season.
The Latest: Leeds interest on Hubers
The Daily Mail shared a transfer story on Hubers on Monday, name-checking Leeds with an interest.
Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham are also tracking the defender, who could be on the move for just £6m over the coming months.
The Verdict: Defensive shake-up?
The Whites have had a season to forget when it comes to goals conceded, shipping 68 in 31 games, so Victor Orta and Marsch could be interested in shaking up the club’s defensive ranks.
Neither Marcelo Bielsa nor Marsch have had a settled centre-back pairing all season, with recent reports suggesting that Robin Koch could be on the way out in the summer.
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Should that be the case, Hubers could be viewed as a possible replacement, with the aerially strong Koln brute also capable of covering at full-back and in a holding midfield role.
In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update now emerges on Joe Gelhardt
The Hungarian team of the early 50s are largely responsible for the scrutiny that the English game put itself under following two humbling defeats, at home and abroad. The team also signifies tactical progression brought about by a change in personnel, again an example of incrementally reacting to circumstances rather than pre-conceived ideals being implemented by a coach.
The W-M formation had caused significant changes to the role of the striker because, as English coaches of the time were obsessed with, central defenders were desired to be strong, imposing, and brutish. This resulted in a decline in favour of many smaller dribblers and a proliferation of the, now traditional, big and aerially adept number nine. It was coach of MTK, Marton Bukovi, who decided to let his players dictate a progression in system instead of forcing unsuitable candidates to play up front against physical stopper centre halves. Bukovi had lost his target man to Lazio in 1948 and circumstances dictated that the number nine should be employed in a deeper role, sitting back from the relentless attention of a centre half. So, naturally, the formation that MTK and, soon, Hungary would employ resembled very closely a 4-2-4 at times. With the forward playing deep, wingers were then pushed on in attack and gave rise to a fluid four up front.
Hungary had a sparkling record. They hadn’t lost a match in almost three years when they humbled England to a 6-3 defeat at Wembley – the first defeat England had suffered there. Their success lay in the interplay of some of the finest players of their generation: Hidegkuti, Kocsis, Puskas, Czibor and Bozsik. An argument of tactics meeting talent is impossible to dissect; Hungary were so potent in attack because of the individual brilliance of their players but it took a progression in tactics to accommodate these players and, like other notable successes (Ajax of the early 70s the most obvious), the process was organic. Guzstav Sebes, the Hungary coach, voiced the country’s political stance on individual vs. team ideology and probably viewed their output as a microcosm for the successes of socialism. Irrespective of any overarching political or tactical theory, the truth remains that Hungary entered the 1954 World Cup as overwhelming favourites.
Their route to the final was a mixture of one sided talent and memorable matches. Their first three games saw them score twenty one goals, beating West Germany 8-3, South Korea 9-0, and Brazil 4-2 (the match against Brazil lives in infamy as one of the most violent matches in World Cup history, commonly referred to as the ‘Battle of Berne’). If the match against Brazil was fought in distaste, their semi final against Uruguay is remembered as one of the finest matches of the century. Hungary lead by two goals until the mighty Uruguayans drew level, leading to extra time and an eventual 4-2 victory for Hungary. The final would be a repeat of an earlier match up in the tournament with Hungary facing West Germany. Astonishingly, Hungary again relinquished a two goal lead but this time could not recover. The Germans began their jaunt as serial iconoclasts by beating a Hungary side who were undefeated in nearly four years and thirty six matches (this resonates with their victory against Cruyff’s Holland two decades later).
The World Cup of 54’ strangely highlights the strengths and weaknesses of Hungary. Even in their 6-3 demolition of England, it is viewed a shock that they conceded three goals. A porous defence remained their biggest downfall even throughout their amazing winning streak. The 54’ World Cup saw a staggering 140 goals scored (27 of them from Hungary) in 26 matches, with defensive frailty meeting striking potency being a recurring motif. The reason why it is interesting to note that the tactical schema of the Hungarians was not quite 4-2-4 lay in the defensive setup. Lorant played as a sweeper with Lantos and Buzansky as full backs. Both Zakorias and Bozsik sat in front of Lorant (and behind the deep lying Hidegkuti) and fluidly interchanged, either moving forward or laterally to cover/compliment. There was, simply, a lack of defensive soundness (Sebes’ notebook has an arrow-filled diagram of the Hungarian formation) perhaps due to the highly mobile and interchanging positions of Zakorias and Bozsik – but perhaps also due to a dearth in defensive qualities from the players at their disposal.
The defeat in Berne was met with vitriol by the Hungarian fans. The team remains one of the finest never to have won the World Cup and, like the Dutch in 74’, possess a romantic charm solely due to their failing at the last, most vital, moment.
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Earlier this week, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini informed the media that Tottenham had tabled a £28.4m bid for Simon Kjaer and Edinson Cavani, claiming that it was “an offer we cannot refuse.” However, following Spurs’ vehement rejection of such claims, Palermo’s Director of Sport, Walter Sabatini stated, “As of today, Tottenham have not made any official offer to Palermo. There are rumours coming out of England, but there is nothing concrete.” Have Tottenham become the latest Premier League team used to generate transfer interest?
In recent times, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have provided high-profile examples of teams using the media in order to lure players to their club (with Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas); both clubs have been chastised by many within the game for such behaviour.
Whilst ‘buying’ clubs are often castigated for such unethical sins, it appears as though ‘selling’ clubs and players’ representatives are just as prone to committing equally deplorable acts. With club officials and players’ representatives eager to earn large cuts of any potential transfer fees, many fabricate stories in order to generate interest in their players and spark bidding wars. In claiming that Spurs had made a bid for Kjaer and Cavani, Palermo had hoped to force the hand of other interested clubs, envisaging a scenario where such clubs would try and top one another’s bids in order to land the coveted defender and forward.
Kjaer’s agent Mikkel Beck (formerly of Middlesbrough and Derby County) has also tried to generate interest in his client, having said, “At the moment we stay put, and Simon is very patient. He knows what he has at Palermo, they are a top Italian team and are playing in the Europa League next year, so he knows what he has. But on the other hand he has admitted that if any concrete offers come out of the current interest then he would seriously consider leaving Palermo this summer.”
Similarly, Javier Mascherano’s agent, Marco Piccioli, has recently spoken of negotiations with Italian side Inter Milan. Aware of interest from Spanish champions Barcelona, Piccioli recently stated, “There has already been a first contact with director Marco Branca. We are evaluating the move hard and in the next few days we will have a new meeting to better establish the details of this transfer deal.” Regardless of whether the detailed negotiations have taken place, Piccioli cleverly tried to entice other interested parties to offer more money in order to lure Mascherano to their club.
Unfortunately, this practice is nothing new. With Spurs’ recent ascension to the Premier League’s top four, it seems as though they may find themselves involved in similar situations in the future.
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
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During a slow summer in regards to transfers the Chelsea fans have much to celebrate as Michael Essien has finally returned to full fitness which is akin to a £30m signing as he has spent much of the last 18 months out injured.
The Ghanaian midfielder is the best player at the club and in my opinion the best all-round midfielder in world football, it is just a shame that the Blues have been robbed of his considerable talents over much of the past two seasons.
Essien’s injury problems began on September 5 2008 after sustaining anterior cruciate ligament damage whilst of international duty with Ghana which kept him out until March 2009. The midfielder received another injury last season, but still went to the African Cup of Nations where he re-injured himself once again and missed the rest of the season and the World Cup. Essien has only played 40 games for the club over the past two seasons and has missed many crucial games.
The 27-year-old was back with a bang in Chelsea’s opening preseason friendly against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win after linking up with Daniel Sturridge and the impressive youngster Josh McEachran to finish the best move of what was essentially a poor game. It was the first time he has played for Chelsea since the Champions League fixture against APOEL Nicosia in December 2009.
Chelsea still managed to win a Premier League and FA Cup double in Essien’s absence last season, but I cannot help but feel those victories may have been a little more comfortable if he was available and he was sorely missed as the Stamford Bridge outfit suffered an ‘early’ elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side.
Essien is arguably the complete box-to-box midfielder, who offers as much in defence as he does going forward. However, many of Chelsea’s fans (myself included) share the opinion that the Accra-born man is wasted in the defensive position in either a familiar 433 or the diamond formation Ancelotti implemented in the first half of last season. He’s best suited at being allowed to join in more in attack. Now that Jon Obi Mikel has played in the ‘Makelele role’ with some success now may be the time we will see Essien in a more advanced role and may truly see the best of him.
Carlo Ancelotti has previously stated that he is happy with the strength of his squad amidst a host of rumours about high profile players joining the club such as Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero and Kaka. Whilst most Blues fans are confident that the club’s squad is sufficient to retain the Premier League title some argue that extra star quality is needed to win the Champions League (the competition we’re told that Roman Abramovich craves above all others).
I believe Essien will be a key player at the club over the coming season and his fitness will the vital to the club’s fortunes. Even if the club do not make any high profile signings this summer then the fans will certainly feel as though they gained a superstar with Essien’s return and the player (known as the Bison) could be the man to take them onto the next level in the coming season.
Could Essien be the man to take Chelsea to the next step and end their European drought as well as putting them in a better position to hold onto their Premier League and FA Cup crowns?
A reminder of what Essien can do
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Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
Argentinean striker Sergio Aguero has admitted that a future with domestic double winners Chelsea ‘excites’ him, which has undoubtedly fuelled a move away from the Spanish Capital this summer. Surely Carlo Ancelotti must take this as a clear sign and snap up the striker services this summer?
The 22-year-old Argentine is currently contracted to Atletico Madrid and has produced some fine performances for the Primera League outfit over the past 4 years, which has no doubt enhanced his reputation as one of Europe’s finest young forwards.
So far in his 4 year spell in Spain, the powerful forward has racked up a total of 73 goals in 190 games for Atletico Madrid and is also capped at international level 24 times. Aguero has been linked with a number of high-profile clubs because of his displays over recent years and has hinted that Chelsea would be a great future move on his part. This past Sunday (11th July) Aguero told the Daily Star:
“Of course Chelsea is of interest as they are one of the most powerful teams in European football. They show their intent summer after summer in the transfer market and more often than not that intent will see them end the season with at least one trophy.”
The Spanish side have conceded defeat in retaining the Argentine’s services and have told clubs interested that they will allow the powerful forward to leave if the price is right. Aguero is not looking for money, more so success and has pinpointed Chelsea as a great location for this to ensue:
“What I need to consider is where I can win things and I know for sure I can win things at Chelsea. You look at their players and you are excited about any future you may have there.”
Chelsea have show an interest in the player recently and surely now is the time for Ancelotti to act now before other big European clubs do. The domestic double winning champions do lack options upfront. Apart from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea do not attain a prolific striker in their ranks. Daniel Sturridge does not look like he is ready for a full-season, whilst Franco Di Santo does not like he will have a future at the club anytime soon, especially after his poor loan spell last season with Blackburn. This leaves Salomon Kalou who is a good player, but many will agree that the Ivorian international does lack the killer instinct in front of goal.
The fact is Chelsea do need to acquire a youthful, powerful, and deadly striker this summer in order to add depth to their front line for the upcoming season, and who better to do this than Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero. The player has recently expressed his interest in the West London club and would make an excellent addition to the current squad. The least Carlo Ancelotti could do is table a respectable bid for the Argentinean striker this summer, right?
[youtube CzHI0rA6Bto]
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
West Ham United manager Avram Grant has ruled out allowing England striker Carlton Cole to leave the club this summer.
The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with Stoke City, but Grant has no interest in letting one of his key players move on, especially having decided to adopt a 4-3-3 formation this season.
He commented:"I don't want to sell Carlton. He is working very hard, his attitude is good and he is a good player.
"I think the new system has helped him. We also have a team that know how to play football, so they can give him the pass at the right time.
"If you look at all the goals we have scored this summer, all the goals came from combinations between many players in the team. Of course it is good for him."
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Cole netted ten goals for the Hammers last season, despite being sidelined for almost two months by injury.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
As fans embark upon the new Premier League season, Arsene Wenger’s description of Stoke’s “rugby tactics” offers a frank similarity to the last campaign -cast your mind back to November 2008 and you may recall almost identical remarks regarding the physicality of the same opposition.
Wenger said: “I saw some footage last Sunday; you cannot say any more it is football, it is rugby on the goalkeepers [rather] than football” on the eve of his sides game against Blackburn who play in a similar way.
And whilst, many may scorn at Wenger’s comments, concluding that they stem from a fear of Arsenal’s soft under belly being exposed once more, perhaps Wenger is justified in his criticism and Stoke will be found out this season.
Last term Stoke created fewer shooting opportunities than any other side in the league last season, averaged less possession per game than anyone else (39.6%) and although the Britannia remains a tough place to go, I feel teams have wised up to their robust approach. Combine those stats with a dependence on set-pieces and long throws and you have yourself a dismal style of play.
Wenger continued to say “When a team plays long ball and head the ball and become physical, I accept that completely and I respect that – but it has to be in respect of the rules,”
They will face another stern test against Blackburn tomorrow managed by a man at the opposite of the footballing spectrum to the Frenchman and Big Sam will look to emulate the physical style in which he orchestrated a 2-1 victory against the Gunners’ last season.
One thing is certain, Arsenal have to toughen up and show the mental fortitude Tottenham did when they visited Stoke-on-Trent last weekend if they are to overcome sides of a similar description.
Whilst I agree with some of Wenger’s comments, maybe he should be taking note of how Blackburn and Stoke “win ugly” instead of criticising them, for is it not this that has reigned Arsenal back in a bid to secure a trophy for the first time since 2005.
Former midfielder Emmanuel Petit added to this notion when describing a victory over Derby during his time at Arsenal saying:
“It was a tough match and Derby gave everything. But we won. That was the crucial thing. Now this Arsenal team must learn to do the same thing. Win ugly, if you like”.
It is sure to be an interesting affair at Ewood Park and if Arsenal can record victory, they may be able to dispel doubts about the soft side which detracts away from their beautiful footballing philosophy.
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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend