Seeing as to how good Liverpool are playing, one could be deemed crazy to think they need more attacking reinforcements.
However, not Jurgen Klopp, as the Liverpool manager’s already planning ahead for next season, where he wants to bolster his squad with further world-class talents.
Of course, one can’t blame him for trying to lessen the responsibilities of his front trio. According to reports from German outlet Bild (via Calciomercato), the Reds are aiming to sign German wonderkid Julian Brandt. He’s apparently up for grabs for a cut-price of only €25 million – roughly £21.5m – which is a real steal for the fantastic attacking midfielder, so FSG shouldn’t waste any time.
The 22-year-old’s in irresistible form for Bayer Leverkusen this season, crafting most of their wonderful attacking moves throughout. He’s been entrusted to be their creative lynchpin and thoroughly delivered, having scored 4 goals, assisted 11 in 28 Bundesliga appearances.
At times, it almost feels like whatever he touches turns to gold in attack.
Brandt can be the blooming asset who could be turned into a world-class star by Klopp. He loves to work with German youngsters (just ask Marco Reus or Mario Gotze) and can really benefit from a vibrant, creative attacker like Brandt.
The 22-year-old can effortlessly drift into a central role, etching together moves with his impressive vision and incisive passing ability.
Not only would he take the pressure off the front-three, but add a more dynamic presence in their attack. Liverpool could be encouraged to take more risks going forward and possibly score even more goals with an assist-master like Brandt scripting moves.
Liverpool fans, would you be pleased with Brandt’s potential arrival this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…
Leeds United fans on Twitter are praying that their poor run of results on Easter Monday can come to an end against Brentford.
The Whites’ promotion chances took a huge hit on Good Friday and they now sit two points off the pace in the race for the top two, with only three games left of the season.
A win on Easter Monday could potentially see their hopes resurrected but their recent record on this day shows that their chances of a win are unlikely.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have apparently lost nine of their last 10 league games on Easter Monday, and are currently on a run of six consecutive losses on this date.
If this poor run is extended, then Leeds’ push for automatic promotion could be all but over so it’s no surprise fans are hoping that the bad luck will end this time.
Wigan finally ended Leeds’ impressive winning streak after scoring first in Championship fixtures and fans of the Yorkshire club are now hoping that they can break another trend for the second time in just three days – albeit with significantly contrasting consequences for their promotion dream.
Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying about the record on Twitter…
Tottenham Hotspur fans love what Moussa Sissoko posted on his Instagram stories on Sunday, via Last Word on Spurs on Twitter.
The France international took time out during the Bank Holiday Weekend to watch Arsenal play Crystal Palace.
The Gunners, of course, were beaten 3-2 by the Eagles, ensuring that Spurs stayed in third-place in the Premier League, despite their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
And Sissoko, who has enjoyed a new lease of life under manager Mauricio Pochettino this season, took to Instagram afterwards to celebrate the Eagles’ victory, writing “yes” with a flexed arm emoji.
And Spurs fans have been quick to praise the midfielder for truly understanding the rivalry between the two clubs.
Following the result at the Emirates, it has been confirmed that Tottenham will finish in the top four if they can win their remaining four matches of the campaign – against Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday and then West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.
Manchester City overcame a tough fixture at Burnley this weekend to move within two wins of retaining their title.
A goal from Sergio Aguero was enough for Pep Guardiola’s men to see off the Clarets at Turf Moor, and it’s looking ever likely that City will indeed make it two on the bounce despite the best efforts of Liverpool.
City have been superb and deserve all the credit for maintaining their form, but manager Guardiola is is clearly already keeping an eye on things with regards to the club’s future, with it being reported this weekend that he could target a move for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire.
The big centre half has once again been in fine form for the Foxes and has seen his reputation and staure within the game grow even further.
Maguire would be a superb signing for City too if they can indeed part with the big money needed to prize him away from the King Power Stadium, and despite having the likes of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte, you would assume Maguire would slot in as a first choice pick.
His ability with the ball makes him ideal for Guardiola to blend into his system, and his height, presence, and age are all factors which again make him a perfect signing.
Maguire has shown for England that he can play at the highest level, and with Vincent Kompany not getting any younger, he could be the ideal man to step into the void the Belgian is going to eventually leave.
City will always be contenders in the market for the best players, and the signing of a player like Maguire would be yet another statement of intent from the Manchester club.
“The future is bleak, because there is no way we can improve on what we have achieved so far.”
Pep Guardiola said those very words after Barcelona won the Club World Cup in 2009. The game, against Estudiantes, was nondescript, really, with few on these shores even paying it much mind. But in Catalonia it sparked wild celebrations and an uncharacteristically downbeat response from Guardiola. The reason? It confirmed that Barcelona had won six trophies in 2009. Six. For those counting, that’s La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey at the end of the 2008-09 campaign and, at the beginning of 2009-10, the Supercopa de Espana, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
Guardiola had told his biographer, Guillem Balague, that he motivated his men by telling them they would be “eternal” if they won the Club World Cup. It was the first time they had won the competition.
Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012. At the end of his reign, he had won 13 trophies, having established a staggering stranglehold on the Spanish game.
What Guardiola has done since is enjoy a sabbatical, move to Manchester City, achieve a century of Premier League points and, this season, bring the excitement of the title race to a juddering halt.
He is a visionary, of course, a genius of a manager capable of building teams into irrepressible winning machines. City, at this point in time, are on a 12-game winning run. They last dropped points in the Premier League on January 29, losing 2-1 to Newcastle United. In the run since they have thumped Chelsea 6-0, beaten Arsenal 3-1 and also enjoyed victories over both Manchester United and title rivals Liverpool.
They have also won the Carabao Cup and will play in the FA Cup final in May. They are out of the Champions League but even that came after a 4-3 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
It is the Premier League, though, where the story is, and where the boredom lies.
City are currently slugging it out with Liverpool at the top of the table. They are two of the greatest teams the Premier League has ever seen and this, in turn, should be the most exciting title race in history.
Liverpool have 91 points but are second. In all but two seasons in Premier League history – last season, when City clocked 100, and 2004-05, when Chelsea won 95 points – they would have won the competition already. They have already amassed one more point than Arsenal’s Invincibles. They are 12 clear of the tally amassed by Manchester United’s treble winners. City, though, are a point clear. They have 92 and could end the season with 98. The only other team to ever better such a tally was, inevitably, Pep’s vintage from last season.
Why, then, is it so dull?
It has been grindingly predictable as a race. City, in particular, have reverted to their win-by-all-costs mantra that has so characterised the best teams in the league. Their 1-0 win over Burnley at the weekend was a prime example of this; it was three more points, yes, and it leaves City two wins away from the title, but they were not convincing, they did not play well and it was not particularly good to watch, with Burnley reduced to merely defending for their lives.
Liverpool have played their part in this but they are more thrilling to watch, more exciting, more explosive. They have pace in attack and defence but they have flaws too; were it not for Virgil van Dijk, they would probably be scrapping for Champions League football and the Premier League trophy would already be sitting in the Etihad Stadium.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Manchester City – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – April 24, 2019 Manchester City’s Leroy Sane celebrates scoring their second goal with Oleksandr Zinchenko and team mates Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or singl
City, though, are almost omnipotent. They move the ball quickly and precisely but they are patient almost to a fault and have become synonymous with the ‘cut-back goal’, when a winger reaches the byline, fires the ball across the six-yard box and either Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling or another of City’s cherry-picked superstars taps it in. It works but it’s a bit like exploiting a cheat code that isn’t available to anyone else.
Indeed, the best title races have featured fallibility. Think of Manchester United and City duking it out in 2011-12, the year of Aguerroooooooo. United were eight points clear with six games remaining. A loss against Wigan Athletic and a chaotic, pulsating and simply brilliant 4-4 draw with Everton, followed by a derby defeat to City, saw Roberto Mancini’s side back on top. You don’t need reminding about what happened on the final day. The drama was only added to by the context of the season before it.
Look, too, at 2013-14, when City again swooped in to snatch the crown, this time from Liverpool, their rivals this year. Brendan Rodgers’ side, featuring the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, were five points clear of Chelsea and nine ahead of City – who had two games in hand – after a 3-2 win over Norwich City on April 20th. A loss to Chelsea was followed by that collapse at Crystal Palace and, poof, the title had gone.
Again, set against the context of the season before it, this was genuinely thrilling stuff for the neutral.
But this season, there has been no such drama. This title race has just been two very good teams who are very good at winning football matches, winning football matches. City play Leicester and Brighton & Hove Albion in their final two matches, while the Reds take on Newcastle United and Wolves. Both teams are likely to win out because that is just what they do.
And Guardiola will be given the Premier League trophy. He may well weep, just as he did in 2009.
For what else is there to do but merely go and win it again? The competition – the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – either don’t have the financial clout or the ability in the starting XI to match the feats of City and the Reds next season.
So we may see a duopoly established, with Guardiola yet again establishing a stranglehold.
City fans, surely, will love it. But the rest of us – we’ll call it what it is: boring.
Memphis Depay struggled to make his mark in the Premier League with Manchester United, but that has not stopped a number of Liverpool fans calling for their club to sign the Netherlands international this summer.
Depay turned out for United between 2015 and 2017 – scoring seven times in 53 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions.
There was never any doubting the Dutchman’s ability, but he struggled to put together a consistent run of form during his time at Old Trafford.
The 25-year-old has scored 37 times and registered 39 assists since arriving at Lyon, though, and has also been in good form for his national team.
This season, the versatile attacker, who only has two years left to run on his current deal, has managed 14 goals and 10 assists in 45 games for Lyon.
Mo Salah has been brutally mocked for his recent diving antics in a new video by 442oons. Check it out below…
A number of Liverpool fans have been on social media discussing their club’s summer window, and many want Depay – who Transfermarkt value at £45million – to arrive at Anfield.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Manchester United’s summer plans are no doubt already underway in terms of bringing in new players, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bring in some fresh faces ahead of next season.
Things have turned sour for Solskjaer in recent months as results went from bad to worse for the Red Devils, and with plenty of problems within the squad it would seem, the United manager will be keen to move certain players out while bringing in new, hungry players to the club.
This weekend has seen news emerge that almost confirms that Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is set to leave the Spanish capital, and after Zinedine Zidane refused to bring him on in the last game of the season this weekend, the writing would appear to be on the wall for Bale.
However, despite United looking to add youth to the squad, we here in the Tavern think that signing Bale is something they should seriously pursue.
While signing the likes of Dan James, Ryan Sessegnon and Sean Longstaff are all good moves for United and their future, they do lack that genuine world class player who has won all the trophies you can win at club level, and Bale brings that with him in abundance.
Of course, wages could well present a problem for Bale in terms of agreeing terms with United, but if one club are going to push the boat out and put a deal together for Bale, then it’s United.
With the likes of Alexis Sanchez due to be on their way out, and Paul Pogba remaining something of a problem, adding a world star who keeps his feet relatively firmly on the ground could well prove a smart move by United.
Indeed, right now, he’s almost imitating the decline his former team-mate Alexis Sanchez has shown at Manchester United, failing to live up to his hype at Arsenal. Even with strikers like Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead, the German’s been unable to weave his magic.
An astounding waste of money.
Once the crown jewel for fans who adored him, he’s now losing their faith by consistently underperforming. Neither is he the magical figure he once was with his genius defence-splitting passes nor is he the hard-working character Emery demands. Frankly, having only scored 6 goals and assisted 3 in all competitions this season, Ozil’s legacy is in danger.
The German attacking midfielder’s been even more lethargic in the Europa League, only netting and assisted one goal apiece. He’s barely able to create good chances for the Gunners, having lost the ability to dictate their attack with his excellent vision.
Once a world champion, he now looks out of place in Europe’s second-rate competition.
The 30-year-old is declining pretty rapidly and could end up losing his world-class reputation unless he quickly regains his confidence going forward. Even Emery’s clearly losing faith in him, as Ozil needs to come up with something big in Baku to change that. He seems to enjoy playing against Chelsea but needs to create something truly majestic to help win over fans.
He might not be planning on leaving London anytime soon, but Ozil’s in danger of losing his place at Arsenal. The crunch game against Chelsea’s his last shot at proving his world-class ability, or be in danger of becoming a permanent bench-warmer or worse at Arsenal next season.
Arsenal fans, do you think Ozil can find back his rhythm soon? Join the discussion by commenting below…
According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sports Witness), West Ham United could move for Club Brugge forward Wesley Moraes this summer.
Newcastle United have also been linked with the attacker in the same report.
And a number of their fans have been on social media offering their views.
The West Ham supporters have now had their say on the 22-year-old, who has netted 38 times in 130 appearances for Club Brugge in all-competitions.
The Hammers are expected to move for at least one striker this summer with Andy Carroll set to leave on a free transfer.
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There remains uncertainty surrounding the futures of Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez, meanwhile, which should lead the capital club into the transfer market.
Moraes would surely be open to a move to the Premier League this summer with the likes of West Ham and Newcastle beginning to circle
And a number of the Hammers faithful are keen for their club to secure his signature.
A selection of the Twitter reaction to the report can be seen below:
When assessing what the top flight teams can expect to encounter next term from the newly promoted Blades, it is impossible not to begin with their overlapping centre-backs that took the Championship by storm in 2018/19.
Chris Wilder’s innovative variation on three at the back – that often saw the right and left sided defenders rampage forward and join up with their respective wing-backs – worked like a charm more times than not. With an industrious midfield also working in tandem, it resulted in opponents having to put out several fires at once and failing to do so. When it worked the system could be devastating and on 39 occasions in the league alone led to either Billy Sharp or David McGoldrick adding to their impressive combined tally. When it didn’t it should not be under-estimated how well organised United’s rear-guard was and will be again as they prepare for big tests ahead at Anfield and the Etihad. Nobody conceded fewer goals in the second tier last season.
Even so, the temptation is to believe that affording such adventure to a third of the defence will be curtailed from August onwards because surely a more conservative approach will be undertaken as each weekend presents another elite challenge.
That, though, would be fundamentally misinterpreting Wilder’s strategy that can change quickly from 3-4-1-2 in possession to a 5-3-2 out of it. It is not uncommon either for the three midfield players in the latter formation to go man-for-man and so in short what we have is a fluid, flexible game-plan that can be very hard to break down when necessary.
That necessity will increase ten-fold in the months to come as the limitations on individual quality within the Sheffield United ranks becomes ever more acute.
Only four members of the squad have Premier League experience – Chris Basham, Billy Sharp, Enda Stevens and Gary Madine – and truthfully none of the quartet made too much of an impact while elsewhere the stand-out stars at Bramall Lane were brought in as free transfers and rejects.
They have been transformed via the impressive coaching of Wilder – a south Yorkshireman born and bred who has forged such a close affinity with the fans that he refers to them as his ‘mates’ – and more so collectively through a philosophy that sees them go into games as if they are a goal down.
It is a group mentality that we know from past examples can take any team far, but with the leftover champagne barely flat from their celebrations United do have concerns going into the summer. The future of loanee keeper Dean Henderson remains uncertain, with the 22 year old likely to return to Old Trafford. Up front, meanwhile, the departure of fellow loanees Scott Hogan and Gary Madine leaves United with only two – admittedly prolific – strikers and cover needed.
Whether Wilder is given a suitable budget to address this is unclear given the bitter ownership battle that is taking place behind the scenes, but he has shown impressive form in recruiting from the bargain bin so perhaps that matters less than to other teams.
He too has a system that is Sheffield United’s twelfth man and a roaring, passionate home crowd that makes it thirteen.
That is going to prove unlucky next year for many heading to the Premier League new boys.