Celtic supporters have taken to social media to display the delight following the news that former defender Virgil van Dijk has agreed a £75m move to Liverpool.
The Scotsman is reporting that Celtic instituted a sell-on clause when they allowed the Dutchman to join Southampton in 2015, and now they stand to earn around £7.5m following Wednesday’s announcement.
Celtic are expected to use the funds attained from the clause to reinvest in their squad in the forthcoming January transfer window. The Glasgow giants have won the league for the previous six seasons in succession, and they’re vying to extend that record to seven consecutive titles.
They’re currently positioned at the top of the Scottish Premiership, ten points ahead of their nearest rivals, Aberdeen.
The Celtic faithful have turned towards Twitter to express their delight at the news that the club will be receiving a sizeable amount of money in light of the Van Dijk sale…
Following Liverpool’s crushing semi-final defeat to Aston Villa at Wembley, they will end another season without silverware. In turn, as another trophy slipped through his fingertips, Brendan Rodgers will finish his third season as the Kop manager without a trophy, the first time a manager as suffered such ignominy since the 1950’s.
With Liverpool looking certain to miss out on top four, as well as leaving their trophy cabinet no fuller than it was 12 months ago, serious questions are being asked of their manager. For all of the free flowing, cavalier football that bought them so close to their first title in 20 years, a cup win of any variety remains elusive.
Will the Rodgers’ reign be remembered as a barren one?
The Anfield fans are ones that demand success, they have a culture of winning tournaments; even in their league drought they have consistently managed to win tournaments, so for all of the good work Rodgers has done, patience may run thin from his own supporters.
Rodgers and the ‘transfer committee’ gambled big last summer, spending vast sums of money in order to replace the irreplaceable Luis Suarez. Many of their signings whilst the Northern Irishman have been in charge have proven to be failures, the amount of accountability the manager takes for these transfer blunders is unknown, but his reputation is certainly being damaged by their performances on the field.
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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has recently come out and defended the current boss stating that one game doesn’t define your career, but as Rodgers is beginning to find out, that one result on a sun-soaked Wembley may prove to be the most pivotal one of his Liverpool reign.
The 42 year old has arguably made his job even harder than it was before; a club crippled by expectation for so long had them again risen to the sky following on from their heroic near miss last term. Many felt that this season they could and probably should go one better, however, the side that he currently possesses is around about where it should be. They are the fifth or sixth best team in the division and that’s exactly where they find themselves.
The counter-argument to sacking a manager is always the dearth of available replacements on the market; however, Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will be leaving Borussia Dortmund now means there is a name and a face who fans can dream of seeing in the technical area.
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There are six games to go in what will prove to be an underwhelming campaign for the Merseysiders, Rodgers will be hoping that every one of those games he sees his side perform to a high level to guarantee he will be given a summer extension. Sacking the manager at this point does seem implausible but the nature of modern day football and the demand for instant success may prove to be his downfall.
He may have one summer left to build a side capable of lifting a trophy of any sort, his Liverpool reign must be punctuated by success. He has done so much, it would be a shame to look back on his spell as a failure, but there is a monkey on his back and it is growing heavier with every passing trophy mishap.
Newcastle will be boosted by the return of keeper Tim Krul for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first-leg trip to face Benfica.
The Dutch custodian has missed the last seven games because of an ankle injury picked up in the last-32 tie at Metalist Kharkiv, but he will oust Rob Elliot from the number one spot at the Estadio da Luz, in Lisbon.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew said: “He has trained very well and I personally think he is one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
“This is a great opportunity for him to come back as the number one ahead of Sunday [against Fulham].
“I don’t mind putting that pressure on him – he accepts at this level that if he wants to play in the Dutch national side, that is the pressure he is under.
“I have no doubt he will respond to that.”
Meanwhile, Chieck Tiote will miss out because of a muscle strain while Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran are ineligible.
Central defender Mike Williamson could feature after not playing since mid-January, while striker Shola Ameobi, midfielder Yohan Cabaye and Argentine international Jonas Gutierrez are in the squad.
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Teenagers such as 18-year-old Adam Campbell and midfielder Gael Bigirimana are in the 19-man squad which flew out to Portugal earlier this week.
It proved to be one of the most perfect striker performances in the Champions League, up among the Gods with Ronaldo’s excellence at Old Trafford in 2003 with Real Madrid and Lionel Messi’s five goals against Bayer Leverkusen last season. Robert Lewandowski went above and beyond, reaching the near-impossible rating of 10 in L’Equipe on Thursday morning. It wasn’t the moment the world woke up to the Borussia Dortmund striker’s talents, as one English pundit confidently exclaimed; it was, however, the building of tension and excitement for what may be the forward’s final few months at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund has already expressed their desire to keep Lewandowski into next season, despite the player’s contract coming to an end in 2014. They were quick once again last night to confirm their stance, probably hoping in a way that glory in Europe this season will be enough to keep the key elements of their group together.
But on some level you can see through the confident tones, acknowledging that they’re more hopeful than anything else. Bayern Munich may come calling once again, adding to the storm created by their successful approach for Mario Goetze, while rumours have already arisen that Bayern have indeed stolen a march on the rest of Europe for Lewandowski’s signature.
Yet it remains the case that the Premier League is the destination many on the continent hold as the pinnacle of the game in Europe. Manchester United have made their interested known, while the most recent incident involving Luis Suarez means Liverpool may well be in the hunt for an elite forward this summer. In fact, you could make a strong case for any of the teams currently competing for the top four in England as legitimate destinations for Lewandowski.
At this point, however, you can’t ignore the possibilities and suitability of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea. All three London clubs are in the hunt for a striker to elevate them onto the next level, with two wanting to build themselves back up to consistent title challengers, and the other needing the break into the Champions League on a yearly basis and build from there.
Manchester United have put their interest forward in at least two of Europe’s best strikers leading into the summer, but the form of Robin van Persie and the continued muddy future of Wayne Rooney suggests that for now, Lewandowski would be used in rotation rather than as the undisputed starter.
Arsenal, however, and provided rumours of a £24 million price tag are to be believed, could be the ideal club for Lewandowski moving forward. His style of play suits Arsenal far more than, say, Mario Gomez, who remains on the borders of a match until he comes into his element inside the box. Lewandowski, meanwhile, has been talked up as one of the best complete forwards in the world, with the ability to act as creator and goal scorer. His technique, versatility and intelligence could see other forwards in the Arsenal team thrive, while his status as a prolific striker is exactly what is needed to link up with Santi Cazorla in the playmaker role.
The price tag of just above £20 million isn’t too much of an issue, either. Arsenal are continuing to push the idea that this will be the summer of change, with figures of least £70 million spoken of regularly in relation to Arsene Wenger’s summer budget. If Arsenal is serious about pushing on next season, they need to make themselves known in the race for Lewandowski. But money aside, it will be about convincing the player that the club are genuinely taking steps to become a real contender for the title as soon as next year.
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With Chelsea continuing down the road towards Radamel Falcao, it opens up an avenue for Arsenal to accelerate towards Lewandowski. It will take an enormous amount of convincing, for both the club and player, but the Polish international is the level of signing Arsenal need to be making in order to convince their fans that the club are moving on from year-on-year mediocrity.
Phil Jagielka’s last minute wonderstrike in the Merseyside derby and Manchester United’s win over West Ham saw Liverpool’s stuttering start to the season really make the headlines over the weekend as they slipped behind the chaotic Red Devils.
From being so impressive last term as they nearly secured a first ever Premier League title, the Reds have wobbled of late, with the exit of Luis Suarez and the arrivals of a host of players not aiding a smooth transition to another push for the top prize.
There have been a number of factors contributing to the club’s underwhelming seven-point total after six games, but finally for Brendan Rodgers the stars seem to be aligning for things to get back on track.
Here are FIVE reasons we think Liverpool could recover from their recent setbacks in the coming weeks…
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CLICK ON DANIEL STURRIDGE TO REVEAL THE FIVE REASONS
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
There’s not a person following football in England whom hasn’t realised just how much Liverpool have missed Daniel Sturridge. Adjusting to life without Luis Suarez was always going to be tough, so having a few key weeks without the other half of the notorious ‘SAS’ combo has made it even more difficult.
Without Sturridge the Reds have picked up just one point in the Premier League, with the pressure having been heaped onto Mario Balotelli to perform in the meantime. When the new pair played together at Spurs they showed signs of clicking into a good partnership, but a thigh injury suffered by the former while away with England on international duty has limited them to just over an hour on the pitch together.
Reports suggest Sturridge is close to returning, with the Champions League trip to Basel potentially a chance for Brendan Rodgers to get his top attackers together.
Balotelli is getting closer
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Balotelli has been the subject of some criticism during the opening weeks of his Anfield career, with the Italian having netted just one goal – against Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League – so far. To be fair to the burly Italian forward, he has been thrust in at the deep end without the support of Daniel Sturridge while a number of players behind him are still finding their feet. ‘Balo’ has had to adjust to the rigours of Premier League football once again while learning the styles of play of his, at the moment, inconsistent team-mates, making his struggles understandable.
Had it not been for a graze of Tim Howard’s arm at Anfield on Saturday he would have scored the goal that would have, surely, won the derby. Fine margins.
Kind run of fixtures
Much has been made of Manchester United’s win on Saturday putting them ahead of Liverpool in the table, but the Red Devils have enjoyed a remarkably kind run of fixtures. The Reds on the other hand have endured some tricky games, including trips to the champions Manchester City, top four rivals Spurs and a home derby game with Everton.
Although a double header with Real Madrid in the Champions League awaits, Brendan Rodgers faces five winnable league clashes in a row in the next months and a bit, with West Brom, QPR, Hull, Swansea and Newcastle all on the horizon.
Defence settling
Like last season, Liverpool’s defensive players have ben sloppy. With Suarez’s goals gone Rodgers was always going to need a tighter backline, but so far the issue hasn’t been truly addressed. Yet it’s easy to forget that the Reds’ new back four contains three fresh faces with one, Javier Manquillo, only just out of his teens and the other two, Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno, 25 and 22 respectively. To make matters worse Martin Skrtel has been injured, which has prevented the club from fielding a settled rearguard.
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But with the new players adjusting and Skrtel once again fit, things could be about to get better.
Valdes could be signed
Football – Celtic v FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League Group G – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland – 12/13 – 7/11/12Victor Valdes – FC Barcelona Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee Smith
Although Rodgers has played down talk of Valdes coming in, the rumours have not gone away. The Spaniard is being mooted as a replacement for Simon Mignolet, with an October move the prediction. The former Barcelona man is almost back to full fitness after a lengthy knee injury, and as a free agent he can be snapped up at any point.
With Mignolet having been erratic so far, Valdes would add a more experienced and composed presence, which may help Liverpool to repair the damage done so far.
It’s been an impressive start to 2018 for Aston Villa. Other than a shock defeat to Peterborough in the F.A. Cup, Steve Bruce’s men have been imperious, claiming victory in all three of their league games so far in January.
With ambitions to return to the Premier League as soon as possible, owner Tony Xia has spent liberally on a number of quality players.
However, one of the mainstays of the team in recent years is Alan Hutton. The defender, who has earned 50 caps for Scotland, has been a useful, versatile option in a number of positions across the backline.
During his time at Villa Park, Hutton has become a favourite with fans, especially this season where his performances have earned him numerous plaudits.
It was therefore a surprise when reports surfaced on Tuesday suggesting that the 33-year-old would not be given a new contract when his current one runs out this summer. A number of Villa fans took to Twitter after the report surfaced and were angry with the decision…
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Last weekend, Sunderland travelled St Mary’s Stadium for a Premier League game against Southampton. For the Sunderland fans that made the 320+ mile journey, they were treated to a ‘Sunday League’ level performance by their side as they lost by an embarrassing 8-0. The defeat was so bad it has led to many pundits asking for The Black Cats first team players and coaches to reimburse their travelling fans for their abysmal performance. Isn’t the great football display by Southampton enough to justify some of the ticket price? Is winning now a prerequisite for ‘beautiful football’?
Surely fans want more than just winning games, they want trophies. The last time either Sunderland or Southampton won a major trophy was back in the 1970s when both sides won the FA Cup at some point in that decade (Sunderland in 1973, Southampton in 1976). Both of these sides have won the Championship though in the past ten years, but is this enough to satisfy fans? This doesn’t just apply to fans of Southampton and Sunderland, but to all football fans no matter what team they support.
Two teams come to mind when you think about sides that played ‘beautiful football’ but never won a single trophy in their respective time periods. The Netherlands National side of the 1970s and the Brazil National side of the early 1980s.
The Dutch in the 1970s were famous for pioneering ‘Total Football’ through the football clubs Feyenoord and Ajax, playmaker Johan Cruyff and national team coach Rinus Michels. Their national side qualified for two World Cups in that decade for the first time since 1938 and finished second in both tournaments. They also qualified for the European Championships for the first time in teams history and finished third. They never won any silverware but they did play ‘beautiful football’ which was recognised by many including the captain of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 World Cup, Carlos Alberto.
He said: “The only team I’ve seen that did things differently was Holland at the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Since then everything looks more or less the same to me…. Their ‘carousel’ style of play was amazing to watch and marvellous for the game.”
At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, the Brazil National team had football legends such as Socrates, Zico, Falcao and Eder, and is remembered as one of the greatest teams never to win a World Cup. They breezed through the first round of group stage games, but were knocked out by the eventual champions Italy in the second round of group stage games after a 3-2 defeat. Most players from this tournament returned for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where they once again breezed through the group stage, but were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals in a classic game of ‘Total Football’. The game finished 1-1 after extra time but France won 4-3 on penalties.
Whilst it is right to partially pay back fans for poor performances, like how Sunderland played against Southampton over the weekend and how far some fans travelled to watch that game live, winning trophies and even sometimes games should not be our measuring metre for fan satisfaction or ‘beautiful football’. The performances of Netherlands National team from the 1970s and the Brazil National team from the 1980s brought in a new style of football, ‘Total Football’, which was seen as game changing and got everyone talking. These were true demonstrations of beautiful football.
Some new game-changing tactics being showcased in todays game, like the way Chelsea used a ‘park the bus’ tactic against Barcelona in 2012 Champions League semi-finals. Some fans and pundits see this as ‘beautiful football’, playing to your strengths and your opponents weaknesses. Chelsea may have gone on to win the Champions League that year, but the way the game is played should be enough to satisfy fans, not the silverware that is achieved.
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Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio is closing in on the signing of Vito Mannone from Arsenal, according to Sky Sports.
The Black Cats sold their number one Simon Mignolet to Liverpool earlier this week and Mannone has been eyed as the ready-made replacement.
The 25 year old has failed to break into the first team at Arsenal since his move from Atalanta eight years ago but impressed on loan at both Hull and Barnsley in the Championship.
Di Canio wants his compatriot to be the man between the stick at the Stadium of Light in a deal that will see Sunderland save a sizeable fee in that department.
The North East club are also in talks with Argentinean right back Gino Peruzzi over a switch to England from South America.
Peruzzi was the man that kept Brazilian hot-shot Neymar quiet over two legs of the Copa Libertadores semi-finals earlier this year and was expected to make a move to big European club this summer.
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Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last weekend was a big moment in the Reds’ season. Not only were they beaten at home by their fiercest of rivals but also their hopes of making the Premier Leagues top four and therefore a chance of Champions League football next season faded.
Liverpool now sit in fifth place with a five-point gap separating the two teams and while there are still eight games to play for, United are definitely in a better position to fight for qualification.
Manager Brendan Rodgers has had a topsy-turvy three-years at Liverpool’s helm; he has been fortunate to work with top players like Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge but likewise there have been many obstacles.
This season alone Rodgers has had to contend with rebuilding his highly effective attack after the departure of Suarez to Barcelona last summer and must now look towards a future without talisman and captain Steven Gerrard. To find themselves even in the running for a top four finish during a season of so much upheaval is admirable and whether or not they succeed in making fourth Liverpool supporters should continue to have faith in their gaffer.
At 42, Rodgers is still a young manager who on a weekly basis comes up against seasoned and highly successful tacticians yet continues to steer Liverpool in the right direction.
The Irishman has made some great signings in his three years at Merseyside – namely Sturridge who joined in 2013 from Chelsea – but also Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen who is enjoying his maiden season. But he hasn’t always gotten it right. The acquisition of forward Mario Balotelli has brought embarrassment and at times a media circus to the club. Though obviously a mistake, it should be remembered that the Italian was a last minute deal done to cover Sturridge’s lengthy injury induced absence. No one in their right mind and with other options available would have pinned their hopes on the erratic young man.
Understandably the first half of the season was difficult for everyone at the club with some supporters even worrying how safe Rodgers’ job was. At the end of November the Reds were down in 11th place and all of the gains made last season seemed to have vanished.
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Sturridge spent five months in total out of action, even longer than was expected due to a reoccurrence of his injury but once he finally returned then a noticeable improvement could be seen and the charge up the table began.
Now with only a handful of games left, which include trips to Arsenal and Chelsea, Liverpool are still in with a chance of making the top four despite tough competition for places. In the event that they do not finish high enough then Rodgers should still be commended for getting through a tough year relatively well. Even when struggling Rodgers has kept his side functioning, not allowing their poor showing and quick exit in both the Champions and Europa Leagues to ruin their domestic campaign which is more than city rivals Everton can say.
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Rodgers needs to continue focussing on a strong league finish and look to make better acquisitions in the upcoming transfer window than he did last year. With the right group of players and a great manager in the making there is no reason why Liverpool can’t finish in the top four next season or even end their long wait for the Premier League title.
When Pedro first broke onto the scene with Barcelona circa 2008, the fiery Spaniard was walking into a team that simply saw no task as impossible. ‘Tiki-taka’ was the choice of phrase used to describe Pep Guardiola’s preference for possession based play at the Nou Camp, and as trophies galore started raining down for Pedro for both club and country, Spanish football was in a very good place indeed.
However, with Carlos Puyol’s retirement, the addition of several new foreign players, and the moving on of Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, subsequent Barca managers have failed to maintain their side’s imperial dominance in Europe, and have seen the team become far more transitional than the complete Barcelona squad of just a few years ago.
As Pedro, another of Barca’s more experienced faces, is reported to be gaining the interest of Arsene Wenger this winter, will this January transfer window represent a new chapter for the Spaniard, or will Pedro remain at Barcelona and become a true Nou Camp hero?
The general footballing consensus seems to agree that the answer to the latter part of that question remains a resoundingly clear. No. Twenty-seven-year-old Pedro may have already sounded himself out as a real star of Catalonian football, but as Barcelona’s conveyor-belt of talent is constantly being added to in their quest to dominate Europe, remaining at the Nou Camp would be a tough ask for the no. 7.
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In the wake of Neymar’s and Luis Suarez’ arrival at Barca, Pedro has seen his game time largely restricted to a place on the bench, and his form has therefore taken a dip as a result. Only three La Liga goals this season simply doesn’t shine the forward in the greatest of lights.
That said, for all the distinct lack of sensation and excitement surrounding Pedro at the moment, Barcelona’s somewhat forgotten man could still do a great job elsewhere, and get his career truly up and running again. With Arsenal said to be great admirers of the Spaniard, perhaps a move to the Premier League wouldn’t be too far off in the near future for the current Barca man.
Pedro initially made a mark on the scene with his lightening quick turn of pace, ability to send in a great whipped cross, and impressively keen eye for goal for a winger. He was highly thought of throughout Europe and even played an important, but albeit understated role, in helping Spain dominate international football.
Whilst his lack of physicality may need addressing if he were to ever make it in the English game, Pedro could offer Arsenal a brand new outlet as the Gunners seek to regain their title chasing status in the Premier League. He would give Wenger that added outlet of pace whenever such a tool was needed, and whilst Pedro may prove a bit steep in terms of his price tag and wages, the link up play with ex-teammate Alexis Sanchez would be something for the Emirates faithful to behold.
However, although such a deal would certainly excite Arsenal fans, the Barcelona winger wouldn’t really do much in terms of addressing their side’s defensive problems. A holding midfielder, several new faces at the back, and perhaps even a new centre-forward will all be needed if Arsenal are to ever regain their dominance in the Premier League.
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Overall, Pedro remains a very much sought after player, even if his current form doesn’t quite do him justice. It ultimately seems likely that he will be on his way out of the Nou Camp sooner or later, and despite the fact that many big teams throughout Europe will be after his signature in the coming months, it is thought that Arsenal’s long term admiration of Pedro will hold them as front runners in any potential move.
Whilst it would be great to see such talent in the Premier League, Pedro’s tendency to go down far too easily may see him face a brand new set of critics should he make the plunge into the English game.