As reported by The Sun, Liverpool’s pursuit of Roma goalkeeper Allison has suffered a setback after his agent played down a move away from the Italian club this summer.
What’s the story?
Both Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet have failed to impress consistently between the sticks for the Reds this season and as such fans see the goalkeeping position as a top priority when the transfer window opens.
One player they’ve been linked with in recent months is £62m-rated goalkeeper Alisson, currently impressing in Seria A with Italian giants Roma.
However, the prospect of him leaving the club now seems further away after his agent played down recent transfer speculation, directly referencing the Reds.
As quoted by The Sun, Ze Maria Neis said:
Alisson is certainly one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He loves Roma, 100 per cent. Will he sign a new contract? Now he is focused only in Serie A and on the Champions League. We have a great relationship with Roma. We never spoke with Liverpool about him. Now Alisson only thinks in present time.
While ambiguous enough to not rule out anything, it’s clear that the goalkeeper nor his representative are interested in forcing a move away from his current club, but should Liverpool ramp up their interest him with a firm bid?
[ad_pod ]
How good is he?
Helping Roma to an impressive 18 clean sheets so far this term, the Brazilian number one is considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world right now.
His side are currently in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and while they are struggling to challenge for the Serie A title, they certainly have ambitions in that regard too, aided by elite talents like Alisson.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
If Liverpool are to challenge for major honours too, they need as stable a defence as possible and after adding Virgil van Dijk to the squad, bringing in a quality and trusted number one behind him is crucial.
Alisson certainly fits the bill and even though speculation about his exit from Roma has cooled, the Reds should keep their thoughts on his situation.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is confident that Reds starlet Raheem Sterling will be fresh and ready to terrorise Premier League defences once more when he comes back to the club from a mid-season break.
The 20 year-old was allowed an extended break by Rodgers following Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on New Year’s Day, with the Reds boss desperate to ensure that one of his most prized assets does not suffer from burnout in what will be a crucial last few months of the season for the Anfield outfit.
Sterling has played more minutes than any other outfield player in the Premier League this term – making 26 starts and two substitute appearances for Liverpool in all competitions.
He was also a key member of the Liverpool side who nearly clinched the Premier League last season, and after a whirlwind 18 months in football which has propelled the England international to global fame, Rodgers feels that a rest for Sterling is richly deserved.
“If you focus just purely on the here and now then of course you wouldn’t want Raheem to miss anything,” Rodgers told the Liverpool Echo.
“But he’s a young player and you have got to look after the needs of the player and ultimately the team and the club.
“He has been outstanding for us in recent months. A period of rest and the recuperation will do him the world of good. It’s been a gruelling first half of the season for him with a lot of matches and a lot of work.
“This is the break I had always planned to give him. It will set him up for the rest of the season.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Following Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, Sterling is expected to return from his holiday in Jamaica ready for the trip to Aston Villa.
Got any questions? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen
Sam Allardyce is hoping his depleted squad will once again cope well with adversity, when West Ham visit Reading on Saturday.
The Hammers boss saw his side reduced to ten men against Everton last Saturday following Carlton Cole’s controversial red card. While the outcome of the appeal is yet to be heard, Allardyce is planning for the trip to Berkshire without last season’s top scorer.
And Big Sam has admitted in an interview published on the Hammers’ official website, that the club would badly miss Cole, if the appeal against his ban proves unsuccessful, while fellow striker Andy Carroll continues to be sidelined through injury.
“We couldn’t afford to lose Carlton Cole, not just the fact that we went on to lose the game because of that but because he may now miss at Reading. That is a massive blow to us,” Allardyce said.
“We will appeal Carlton Cole’s sending off because we need Carlton for Reading. Losing him for three games will be a severe blow that we can’t cope with Andy Carroll being out as well.”
With Ricardo Vaz Te still out injured, West Ham’s only other fit recognised forward is Modibo Maiga, but Allardyce feels the Malian lacks the necessary Premier League experience to make the starting XI.
The 25-year-old, who can also play on the wing, moved to Upton Park this summer from French club Sochaux for a fee of £5million.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Modibo has made an impact from the sub’s bench but we don’t think he’s ready to start a game in the Premier League as it’s a big jump from the French league to the Barclays Premier League,” the Hammers boss added.
Fair play to Newcastle United attacker Ayoze Perez.
The Spaniard has revealed that he played against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon just three days after his grandmother had passed away.
The 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes of his team’s 3-0 win over the Saints, and was extremely impressive in a forward position.
On Monday, Perez took to Twitter to reveal that he featured despite a family tragedy, and the Newcastle fans, who are absolutely delighted with head coach Rafael Benitez at the moment, have been paying tribute to the former Spain Under-21 international.
[ad_pod ]
Perez, who has scored four times and registered three assists in 29 appearances for Newcastle this season, is currently in his fourth straight season with the Magpies.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
He now seems to be part of the furniture at St James’ Park, and his classy Twitter post at the start of this week will only increase his popularity at the Premier League club.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
The January transfer window has never been an ideal time to buy, but it represents an important opportunity for Premier League clubs to offload some of their deadwood.
That’s something Brendan Rodgers should bear in mind as we approach the winter window – his Liverpool squad, although designed to cope with the added burdens of Champions League football this season, includes a number of players that are quite frankly surplus to requirements.
With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE players the Reds could axe in the New Year; some have contracts winding down, others were expected to leave during the summer and a few have simply outlasted their relevance on Merseyside.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON RODGERS TO REVEAL ALL
[/ffc-gallery]
GLEN JOHNSON
Hot off the press this morning, England international Glen Johnson has admitted his Liverpool career could soon be coming to an end:
With his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, the 30 year-old is yet to sign the one-year contract extension offered to him during the summer. Upon the turn of 2015, he’ll be allowed to talk to foreign clubs regarding a bosman move.
The right-back’s experience and continuity could soon prove vital for a chaotic Reds defence that currently has the fifth-worst goals conceded column in the Premier League as he returns from a six-week injury lay-off, having featured as a substitute against West Brom last weekend.
But Rodgers will be keen to get a return on the former West Ham, Chelsea and Portsmouth star rather than risk losing him for free. Likewise, he now has youngsters Javier Manquillo and John Flanagan waiting in the wings.
Liverpool fans won’t mind too much either – this was their reaction when Brendan Rodgers ruled Johnson out injured back in August:
FABIO BORINI
Fabio Borini was widely expected to leave Anfield this summer, with Liverpool accepting a £14million bid from Sunderland after the Italian claimed ten goals on loan at the Stadium of Light last season.
The highlight of his Black Cats stay was this sensational strike in the Tyne-Wear derby:
//www.youtube.com/embed/IjUP4e8wvxE?rel=0
But the 23 year-old reject Sunderland’s advances, in addition to interest from QPR on deadline day, instead using Twitter to profess his manhood to the world and desire to fight for his place on Merseyside:
Brendan Rodgers has issued Borini three outings already this season but with Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Daniel Sturridge to contend with in the pecking order, clearly he’ll never be luxury to more than a bit-part role.
Sunderland and QPR appear to have lost interest but Inter Milan are reportedly eying a January loan swoop for the former Parma and Roma ace:
The Reds however, would likely prefer a permanent departure.
LUCAS LEIVA
Another fringe player expected to leave during the summer – Lucas Leiva spent the off-season being heavily linked with Rafa Benitez’ Napoli:
That was ruled out however in the latter stages of the transfer window, as the former Liverpool boss declared there would be no more arrivals in Naples.
The tough-tackling Brazilian hasn’t seen too much action since; in fact, Brendan Rodgers has issued him just two starts in all competitions this season. His performances have been largely ineffective too – against West Ham the 27 year-old was dragged off at half time with the Reds already 2-1 down.
Jamie Carragher believes Leiva struggles to play alongside Steven Gerrard in midfield – a sure-fire way to bring any Anfield career to an abrupt close.
Thus, a January departure looks incredibly likely, and recent speculation suggests the midfielder could be offered to Napoli again, in a bid to bring Gonzalo Higuain to Merseyside.
Here’s a look at the Argentina international’s top ten goals:
//www.youtube.com/embed/Uda3lOinrnU?rel=0
SUSO
Brendan Rodgers is clearly fond of Spanish playmaker Suso. The 20 year-old impressed in a cameo role during the Ulsterman’s first season at Anfield, and Rodgers recently revealed the midfielder was in his thoughts ahead of the Merseyside derby. He also bagged this tasty strike against Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup back in September:
But a lot changed on Merseyside whilst Suso spent the 2013/14 campaign on loan to Almeria, and the Spain U21 has since struggled to break into Liverpool’s first team. Here’s the highlights of his stay with the Spanish side:
//www.youtube.com/embed/9NsONacHPMw?rel=0
Furthermore, the attacking midfielder’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, suggesting Brendan Rodgers will feel compelled to sell Suso on unless he’s featuring more regularly at senior level.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
That task will be made even harder with the youngster sidelined for the next two months due to a groin injury:
There are rumours however that his Anfield exit has already been masterminded; Sky Sports Italia claim Suso has agreed terms regarding a pre-contract move to Inter Milan.
JOSE ENRIQUE
Jose Enrique has only just come back from a year-long injury lay-off, and amid the absences of Glen Johnson and John Flanagan, has provided vital depth at left-back this season.
But the Spaniard is a little behind the standard you’d expect from a Champions League side, and after snapping up Alberto Moreno this summer, will unlikely return to the status of first choice No.3 any time soon at Anfield.
There’s still two years left on his current contract but Liverpool would be prepared to sell in January if they’re approached with a reasonable offer.
Some reports already suggest this, with La Liga side Villarreal emerging as potential suitors:
The left-back slot is also deputised by Mamadou Sakho and Emre Can, so the Anfield side won’t be left short if Enrique is let go in the new year. Here’s a look at the 28 year-old in action:
Over the last two decades of Premier League football, the game has seen some popular players grace the sport. The ones who get the biggest cheer every time they take to the field from their own supporters and quite often earn the grudging respect of the opposition fans as well. Unfortunately, since football is a game of overpaid, overhyped children, there are plenty of players that nobody can stand in the slightest.
These are the ones that attract the boos wherever they go and quite often, their own fans can’t even bear the sight of them. Quite often, this unpopularity isn’t down to their playing ability, but their actual personality and for some footballers, those personalities simply aren’t curable. Others players are hated because of their actions on the field, indeed certain individuals go out there to merely wind the opposition up while others just play like morons. This doesn’t make them any better than those with the ugly personalities, indeed more often this draws the attention of the opposition supporters towards them. With this in mind, we bring you the 20 most hated footballers in the history of the Premier League.
Click on Dennis Wise below to get the ball rolling
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Sunderland have completed the signing of Scottish international Dylan McGeouch, and fans are super excited about the Hibernian midfielder.
According to Roker Report, Sunderland were hoping to complete the signing of McGeouch over the weekend, but the transfer was delayed as the player was attending a family member’s wedding.
The club has now confirmed the move, and the midfielder will become the Black Cats’ fifth signing so far this summer.
The twice-capped Scottish international had an excellent season in for Hibs, but will sign for free after opting not to renew his contract.
McGeouch is only 25, but has gone from strength to strength since swapping Celtic for Hibs in 2015, earning himself a spot in last season’s SPFL Premiership Team of the Year.
He was also voted Hibs’ player of the year and player’s player of the year, so getting the midfielder on a free signing is one hell of a coup for the Black Cats.
Jack Ross is building quite the Scottish contingent at the Stadium of Light, and fans are particularly happy with this deal.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
[ad_pod ]
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Groups of West Ham United supporters were due to hold a march in protest against the club’s board prior to next weekend’s Premier League home game against Burnley.
However, the action has now been called off following positive talks between the Real West Ham Fans Action Group and vice-chairwoman Karren Brady.
Supporters have long been frustrated with the club’s owners and board members.
The decision to leave Upton Park to move into the London Stadium in Stratford is one of the main reasons why there is a disconnect between the fans and the hierarchy.
Many feel that the new state-of-the-art ground lacks the atmosphere that the club’s of home created.
On Thursday, the Hammers released a statement on their official website confirming that the protest march scheduled for March 10 has been cancelled.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Co-chairman David Gold posted a link to the online piece via Twitter, and within the responses, some fans insisted that the protest will still go ahead.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has praised Mario Balotelli after their 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Ludogorets on Tuesday night, Mirror reports.
Gerrard had to score a late penalty in order to secure the three points, and believes Balotelli – who bagged the game’s first goal – can aid the club to a successful season.
WANT MORE? >> Arsenal Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
“A lot of people were wondering what we were going to see from Mario in terms of off-the-ball and work-rate, what he gives us off the ball,” the Liverpool captain said.
“But we saw tonight how hard he worked. You have got to give Mario immense credit. When you try to find a breakthrough, you keep going – which is what he did. Great strikers only need one chance and he took it.”
After losing 1-0 to Aston Villa at Anfield during the weekend, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was clearly elated as his side returned to the Champions League with a win.
“It was a vital win for us, vital. It will be really important for our season. After a great performance against Tottenham the international break has really hurt us, so we needed that,” he explained.
“I felt coming into the game that we had a wee bit of a hangover from the defeat by Villa, so the resilience and commitment the players showed tonight was really important for us.
“I do believe that in my first six months here we would have lost that game. But it shows the belief we have now in the group that we have to keep going from here. I think those three points give us momentum and belief, because this competition is about winning, and we showed we can do that.”
Liverpool’s next destination is Upton Park, where they will face West Ham United this coming weekend.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Unlike most fans of other London clubs, I take no pleasure in seeing Arsenal 10th in the Premier League, five points off the top four and dwelling on a 2-0 loss at home to Swansea. Having grown up with several of my friends being Gooners and my girlfriend’s family being Arsenal supporters, it is a club I have always liked to see doing well, apart from when they’re playing West Ham, of course.
But this current bout of unrest at the Emirates has got me wondering why Arsene Wenger has struggled to keep Arsenal challenging for trophies.
It’s hard to pin point the exact moment where it all started going wrong for Wenger and Arsenal. Some would argue it is down to the sale of the club’s best players ever since they won their last piece of silverware in the shape of the FA Cup in 2005. Others just put it down to Arsene Wenger hitting a brick wall in what he is capable of achieving at The Emirates.
Since that FA Cup win in 2005, the like of Ashley Cole, Thierry Henry, Mathieu Flamini, Emmanuel Adebayor, Patrick Vieira, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie have left North London for pastures new, winning a combined total of 37 trophies while Arsenal’s baron run continues.
Allowing such players to leave is seen as Arsene Wenger’s ultimate crime, as well as not spending the estimated £165million he sold the above players for to adequately replace the talent he had allowed to walk out of the Emirates.
However, despite not winning anything for seven years, the Frenchman has still been relatively successful in ensuring Arsenal are still a formidable force in the Premier League and the Champions League, but recent weeks have shown worrying signs that such an achievement may be coming to an abrupt end.
But why? With a midfield consisting of Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere, Arsenal have one of the most talented midfields in the Premier League at the moment. Add the undoubted talent of Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott on the wings and the improving Olivier Giroud up front and you’ve got a pretty impressive attacking basis upon which success should be imminent.
But my main concern for Arsenal, as I am sure it is for all Arsenal fans across the globe, is the defence and the absence of a deadly goal scorer since van Persie left in the summer. There is no doubting the talent of the defence, but the lack of consistency is worrying, especially with the likes of 20-year-old Carl Jenkinson only having 19 Premier League appearances on his CV, despite showing signs of promise in the early stages of the season.
The current spine of the Arsenal side has enough about it to return to the good old days when they were challenging for league titles and regularly winning domestic cup competitions. However, what Arsene Wenger needs to do is spend the money he has been sitting on for several years now and bring in players who are capable of making an immediate impact on the Premier League, while also making his current players happy.
The constant dithering over offering Theo Walcott a new contract cannot be doing the player or the squad any good. There will be several players at the club becoming increasingly worried that yet another one of the club’s best players is edging closer and closer out of the door.
Despite this, Wenger has shown throughout the 16 years of his Arsenal tenure that he can be a very shrewd businessman in the transfer window, making a healthy profit on several of Arsenal’s best players. He has an eye for a good player, there is no doubting that, but what he has failed to do is adapt to the rapid change in how transfer markets work.
With the prices of good players ever increasing, it is now a rare sight to see the likes of an 18-year-old Nicolas Anelka sign for a club for half a million pounds and go on to be as world class as he once was. And this is ultimately what I believe has been Wenger’s stumbling block at Arsenal. He has failed to see the shift in players’ values and that has prevented him from bringing in the players that he may have seen as bargains about 10 years ago.
Every one knows it, but he is unwilling to spend large amounts of money on the quality that will re-ignite Arsenal’s top-flight dominance. That probably comes with the fact that the likes of Toure, Petit, Ljungberg, Anelka, Overmars, Fabregas, Pires, van Persie and Henry cost him a combined total of just over £36 million, all players who went on to have very successful playing days under him at Arsenal.
Wenger needs to realise that such deals are a rarity in modern football and big money must be spent to acquire the best players in the sport. With the January transfer window just a month away, Arsenal fans are probably dreading what Wenger has up his sleeve, and rightly so. He might be bringing back Thierry Henry on a loan deal, but that isn’t going to help the club in the long term. But if he can finally bring himself to fork out some good money on a couple of world class players then we will no doubt begin to see the Arsenal of old.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
We keep hearing the age-old cliché that ‘It’s a results business’ and it’s a cliché could that not be further from the truth, but results only come with good players who can play together and who are confident they are at a club that can be successful. That doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment and, until this is addressed, we will continue seeing Arsenal in the shape they are today.
Personally I believe Arsene Wenger is still capable of returning Arsenal to the good old days. He just needs to bring himself a little more up to date with the modern game to end what I think is just a blip in Arsenal’s successful history.
It’s all very well maintaining a profitable football club as a business, but the focus needs to be on the field of play right here, right now.
What do you think? Is it solely Wenger’s transfer policy that is the reason behind Arsenal’s failure to win anything in the last seven years? Or do you think there is more to it? Leave your comments below.