Dele Alli may be one of the youngest stars in the Premier League but today he’s got a little bit older. Well, everybody gets a little bit older every day but today is a real landmark of the ageing process for the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder – his 20th birthday!It really puts his recent form into perspective. Alli wouldn’t be allowed to legally drinkÂon the other side of the Atlanic but he’s already a fully fledged England international, almost certain to start for his country at the coming European Championship, and the heartbeat of a Spurs side chasing down Leicester City for the Premier League title.But that’s more than enough glorification of the action-packed midfielder. Birthdays are supposed to be overflowing with as much embarrassment as possible and regardless of Alli’s performances this season, Football Fancast are determined to fulfil that tradition.So with that in mind, sit back and enjoy Alli’s birthday with a quick run through of his silliest vines and social media gaffes.
THOSE SHADES THOUGH…
I’m sure you’ve all suffered the humiliating tradition of your family whacking out the baby photos on your birthday, showing them to the missus, your best mates and well.. anyone else they can find to laugh at you.
We don’t have a picture of Alli in nappies but the Tottenham midfielder did post this little gem on Twitter not so long ago – a photo of him selfie-ing up after seemingly raiding the sale rack in TK Max.
It’s hard to decide what’s worse. The banana cardigan, the completely inappropriate rosary beads or those oversized aviators. Probably the aviators.
SECRET HANDSHAKE
Less birthday related and considerably less embarrassing. Nonetheless, we at Football Fancast have always been big fans of secret handshakes – especially when they’re pulled off as quickly as this one.
A PERFECT RENDITION…
Many a birthday has been spent making eardrums bleed with drunken karaoke – or at the very least, a few terrace anthems yelled out on the walk/stumble home – and fulfilling that tradition today is this cheeky video that popped up on social media a few months ago, showing a once again young Dele Alli pulling off a not-so-perfect rendition of ‘I wish I was a punk rocker’.
And just in case you missed that rather disturbing little face melt right at the end…
Bye, bye Dele!
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Oh Dele, you have treated us to some fantastic bantz today, but at this point we must say goodbye and let you enjoy your birthday in peace. We’ll let you see us out with arguably your greatest talent alongside being a footballer – the perfected art of the comedy wave.
Gareth Bale might just become one of the best players to ever leave the Premier League and play abroad.
If you go back to the late ’50s you will find another Welshman, John Charles, plying his trade away from the UK. Charles became a cult hero, and still is to this day, for Juventus, whilst in the decades that followed, Dennis Law and Jimmy Greaves had tortuous times in Italy. Kevin Keegan saw success in Germany and the ’80s, and ’90s saw mixed fortunes for many in Serie A.
Quite a few players left these shores for La Liga in search of fame, fortune and silverware… from Gary Lineker, to Michael Owen, to Steve McManaman and David Beckham, besides others.
But Gareth Bale is beginning to eclipse them all. The Welsh team’s talisman will showcase his skills in this summer’s European Championship, but on Saturday for Real Madrid, he collected his second Champions League winner’s medal in three seasons.
And there’s more for the ex-Tottenham man.
Gareth Bale is now officially best of British when it comes to playing in La Liga after he beat Gary Lineker’s league scoring record in March this year at the Santiago Bernabeu. In under three seasons, Bale has topped Lineker’s haul of 42 goals in 103 games for Barcelona. He has now scored 43, and he only needed 76 matches to break the record.
Bale scored on his comeback in Real Madrid’s 7-1 win over Celta Vigo after a six-week spell on the sidelines with a calf injury, but he was left waiting to pass the England goalscoring legend when he didn’t score against Las Palmas at the end of that month.
The winger has long since eclipsed Steve Archibald (24 goals in 55 games), Michael Owen (13 in 36), David Beckham (13 in 116) and Steve McManaman (eight in 94).
No other British player has enjoyed this kind of success abroad before and is unlikely to for some time, because, despite some rumours, why would Bale now leave Real and come back to the Premier League?
He will in time, perhaps, but for now, the European champions could give him a third UCL medal next season plus a determined challenge for a La Liga title against a Barcelona team that looks like it is breaking up.
His second European title with Real Madrid makes him only the second Brit after Steve McManaman to win that competition or in it’s previous format, the European Cup, more than once with a foreign club since 1956. Scotland’s Paul Lambert and England’s Owen Hargreaves are the only others to win the trophy with a foreign club — Lambert with Dortmund in 1997 and Owen Hargreaves at Bayern Munich in 2001.
Four other British players have been runners-up: Kevin Keegan (Hamburg, 1980), Laurie Cunningham (Real Madrid, 1981), Steve Archibald (Barcelona, 1986) and Chris Waddle (Marseille, 1991).
But it is the consummate talents of Bale that make him, so far, the UK’s most successful player abroad. He is yet to be crowned European footballer of the year or a Ballon d’Or winner, as Keegan did twice in 1978 and 1979.
However Keegan didn’t have a team-mate like Cristiano Ronaldo or a rival like Lionel Messi of Barcelona to compete against. Bale will go from strength to strength and at 26 years old time is on his side.
Like McManaman at Real, Lineker at Barcelona and Charles at Juventus, Bale will become another cult hero and up there with the very best.
The talk of summer 2015 and likely to be speculated about for the coming few months, Alexandre Lacazette is set to be on the move this summer. It seems as though half of Europe are eyeing up the Lyon man, and though his 2015/16 has not been quite as sensational as his 2014/15, the French striker could just be the man for Spurs this summer.
Whilst their London rivals West Ham are all likely to consider a move for the Ligue 1 man, it should be Spurs’ first priority. The end of season collapse from the Lilywhites shows a lack of squad depth and even Harry Kane needs competition from his place and a high quality stand-in. The intense style of play that is demanded by Mauricio Pochettino does not lend itself to a thin squad and it most certainly requires plenty of alternatives. Lacazette would be perfect for this very reason.
Heung-min Son and Nacer Chadli have both slotted in superbly as makeshift centre-forwards on occasions, but the lack of a genuine number nine other than Kane could really cripple any title challenge next season. Points-wise, this season was not the best Spurs have had and they will need to avoid the fatigue factor next season to prove that 2015/16 was no flash in the pan. Lacazette, solely, would not make it a satisfactory summer for Spurs, but it would be a heck of a start. At only 24, he fits the current squad profile, too.
Kane, particularly with the Champions League coming to White Hart Lane next season, will need time to rest. Even if that is more regularly being substituted, or not even travelling on the easier away trips, the signing of a player of Lacazette’s calibre would desperately aid their star man. The centre-forward is so pivotal in Tottenham’s set-up and there is a mammoth demand of them from other sides, too. Kane needs to work tirelessly, as would Lacazette, and they need to provide a hefty proportion of the goals, as Kane did this season. Fortuitously, that is unlikely to be of concern for Lacazette, who contributed 32% of Lyon’s goals this season with his 21 in the league.
Tottenham fans will be dreaming of going one step further in 2016/17. They will be thinking that the freak victory from Leicester was just that, an anomaly. Aside from a slight dip towards the end of the campaign, Spurs really pushed the Foxes as far as they possibly could have done. A marquee signing of Lacazette’s stature will just add to the current fear factor that surrounds the Lilywhites. 48 league goals in the last two seasons speaks for itself, in fact, that sort of alternative striking option would give Spurs two of the best young forward line in Europe.
Kane and Lacazette could work in tandem. Whether drifting in from wide, or allowing Pochettino to change system, the signing of another truly reliable goalscorer would make Tottenham a terrifying prospect. There will be more challenging games for Spurs next season, they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas in midweek as they have done this year. The Champions League is a whole different prospect – particularly with them likely to be in pot 3 – and it requires depth throughout the squad. The defence looks secure, the midfield may require an addition or two, but the presence of just one recognised striker is the real difference. One sizeable investment from Daniel Levy in Alexandre Lacazette could bridge the gap from third place to the title.
Mane is a good footballer, there is no question about it, but is he the all conquering superstar that he has been made out to be?
The 23-year-old looks set to join Liverpool in a major £34 million deal.
The South Coast club have a history of recovering from the loss of top stars with the likes of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Morgan Schneiderlin all having moved on without causing too much trouble to the club.
The main issues around those players leaving were that they were crucial members of the first team and seemed irreplaceable, but can the same be said for Saido Mane?
Here are the Transfer Tavern’s top THREE reasons why the departure of Sadio Mane from Southampton would be far from a tragedy for the Saints and their fans…..
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE THREE REASONS!
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Consistency
Sadio Mane is quite possibly the most frustrating footballer to watch in the Premier League at the moment, in one week he will bag the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history whilst the next week he can spend the entire match spinning around on the edge of the area before falling over his own feet.
This is a trait that has not gone un-noticed by his superiors, after Saints memorable 4-2 win over Man City towards the end of the season manager, Ronald Koeman, called out Mane for his lack of consistency and told the Senegalese forward that he needed to improve.
His attitude
Another element of Mane’s game that Koeman has had to reign the winger in over on a number of occasions over the last couple of seasons.
In Koeman’s first season at the club Saints were awarded a penalty, which the manager had told his side James Ward-Prowse was to take. Mane didn’t find this quite to his liking and decided that he would take it and went about arguing his side of the case over the penalty spot.
This prompted Koeman to explode on the touchline and criticise his attitude in his post-match interviews.
The money
£34 million is the price tag that Saints will get for Mane.
It is far from likely that should Mane leave that it will be for that much but it will not be for peanuts, somewhere in the region of £25m-£35m which, going by Saints’ proven track record of reinvestment and successful scouting, could well lead to the club progressing further.
So Saints fans, what do you think? How much damage would Mane leaving really cause?
A decent if largely forgettable weekend in the Premier League finished this afternoon in the form of West Ham's trip to Manchester City.
The Citizens got off to an absolute flyer, with Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho scoring in the opening twenty minutes, but West Ham came into the match after half-time through Michail Antonio – who found the net for the second week in a row.
Unfortunately for the Hammers, chasing another goal opened them up. They were finally punished by Sterling once again, who popped up with another strike in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win.
It was an intriguing match with plenty of goal-mouth action, expansive football and swings in momentum. And we at Football FanCast like to think something can be learned from every fixture, whether it's a 6-0 pasting or a scoreless draw.
With that in mind, here are the FOUR things we learned from today's game.
NASRI'S NOT OUT OF THE PICTURE
Pep Guardiola made a very interesting substitution this afternoon, bringing on one of Manchester City's forgotten men in Samir Nasri for the final 15 minutes.
The French playmaker spent almost the entire of last term sidelined through injury and appeared set for a summer departure after being left out of Guardiola's pre-season plans because he returned to training overweight.
But there's certainly something Guardiola-esque about the former Arsenal technician and it seems the City boss may be willing to give him another chance.
Nasri performed well after entering the action, linking up with City's other attackers and almost getting on the scoresheet after taking the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian – leaving Sam Byram to make a goal-line clearance.
With the summer window set to close on Wednesday, it remains to be seen whether Nasri's simply being window-shopped or if he does have a chance of turning his stuttering City career around.
DIMITRI PAYET, HOWEVER, MAY BE OFF
Dimitri Payet's sustained absence this season has annoyed West Ham fans and Fantasy Football enthusiasts alike.
He suffered a knock during Euro 2016 and has thus far managed just 23 minutes for West Ham in the Premier League, which came against Chelsea during the Hammers' first league fixture of the season.
In midweek, Slaven Bilic suggested the talismanic midfielder could be involved again today for arguably the toughest fixture West Ham will have this term.
Rather suspiciously, however, Payet was not only excluded from the starting line-up but also West Ham's entire match day squad. A top-class talent absent just days before the summer window closes – inevitably, eyebrows were raised.
RAHEEM'S BACK
Raheem Sterling will be the first to admit that his debut season at the Eithad was somewhat underwhelming for a £50million signing. Perhaps that was largely inevitable, considering the price-tag. But the England international looked worth every penny of it today and appears to be acclimatising to life under Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, the tricky winger opened the scoring after just seven minutes with a calm and composed finish – quashing allegations of a lack of ability in the box – and rounded off the afternoon with another smart strike in stoppage time, rolling the ball under Adrian.
Guardiola's worked with Sterling for not even two months yet but appears to be getting the best out of the former Liverpool youngster already. City fans are finally seeing what their club paid so much money for.
MAN CITY ARE A REAL FORCE – BUT THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE
Chelsea and Manchester United have both enjoyed strong starts to the season, but City's first half display against West Ham was arguably the most convincing we've seen in the Premier League so far.
The Citizens were 2-0 up inside the first 20 minutes and sustained that pressure until the interval, dominating possession and continually threatening West Ham's backline. In truth, it should have been all over at half-time with Guardiola's boys boasting a very healthy lead over the visitors.
But many feel City will struggle to win the title and transition to life under Pep simultaneously this season and their performance notably dipped in the second half as the Hammers came back into it, courtesy of a goal from Michail Antonio.
Clearly, there's still some work to be done at the Etihad. But if City can reach those heights of the first half consistently, they'll blow away the opposition in this season's title race.
After already facing Arsenal and Leicester, last season’s top two, Jurgen Klopp’s tough start to the season continues as Liverpool travel to Chelsea for the second instalment of Friday night football.
It’s been a mixed season so far for the Reds, but Liverpool’s last game against Leicester shows just what their squad is capable of.
Klopp seems to know mostly what his best team is, but he’s also quite clearly not afraid to mix his team up when the opposition’s formation and set up calls for it.
Against Tottenham, Klopp started with Roberto Firmino in the striker role to hassle and harry the Spurs defence, and when he was dropped back to make room for Divock Origi, that pressure on Spurs’ defence dropped, leaving them with space to play out from the back and get a foothold in the game.
Against Chelsea, a similar tactic could be used. Liverpool will press with intensity, which is also something that Antonio Conte will want from his team. The difference is that Jurgen Klopp’s team are further into their progression than Conte’s Chelsea are. Klopp has had almost a full year to instil his ideas, Conte just a few months.
Here is a team who can out press and out think Chelsea this weekend…
Simon Mignolet
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With Loris Karius still out with a broken hand, Simon Mignolet’s stay in the Liverpool goal continues. He has already conceded seven goals, and only four teams have conceded more than that – three of them are in the bottom four.
There is something incredibly unsettling about seeing Mignolet with the ball at his feet, but when Liverpool are bombing forward, it’s easy for Liverpool to forget their defensive frailties!
Nathaniel Clyne
Nathaniel Clyne is the undisputed holder of Liverpool’s right back slot. He is reliable and steady whilst also giving his attackers ahead of him an option for an out ball and is a threat to the opposition on the overlap.
He’s a modern full back playing in a modern team, and given Liverpool’s problems on the other side of the pitch, Clyne’s form is very welcome.
Joel Matip
After the first four games of the season, Joel Matip has started to look very much at home in the heart of Liverpool’s defence. He takes the ball out of defence and often pops up in the midfield, starting Liverpool’s attacks, even playing one-twos to take the team up the pitch.
But whilst that’s impressive, what is arguably more impressive is how solid he’s looked in defence, too. Sometimes you get a player who is silky but not solid, Matip looks like being both. A real find.
Dejan Lovren
After a big black eye kept Dejan Lovren out of the Leicester game, it looks like he might make his return to the starting lineup against Chelsea on Friday night.
The Croatian defender has been at the club for a while now, but he’s always looked just a little bit clumsy. This season, as Liverpool’s defence has been leaky, he’s been around again, but what’s interesting is that Liverpool have looked quite good in most games so far.
The problem for the team is that although they’re scoring goals and conceding them, it’s the performances in the midfield that have won them games. If they can tighten up at the back, Liverpool could be on for a very good season!
James Milner
Left back is Liverpool’s problem position. After the erratic performances of Alberto Moreno, Jurgen Klopp is turning to his most reliable performer to dig his team out of a hole.
And James Milner has been excellent at full back, as it happens. His in built ability to be disciplined and steady makes him a good defender, even if he’s not going to be positionally aware for a whole season at full back. But his natural ability as a midfielder and a winger make him good on the ball and a great option for his teammates.
But his natural ability as a midfielder and a winger make him good on the ball and a great option for his teammates.
Jordan Henderson
Liverpool’s captain is a man who really should be a Jurgen Klopp favourite. Jordan Henderson’s passion and willingness to run is something that must really speak to the manager, and his performances so far this season have been very good.
Liverpool’s midfield has been powerful and persistent this season, and able to overpower other midfielders. It will be interesting to see how well they do against N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic.
Adam Lallana
Adam Lallana seems to have transformed from a 75-minute man into a man to play the full 90 for the Reds.
Over his last three games – including England’s victory over Slovakia where he scored in the 95th minute – Lallana has played every minute, and it doesn’t seem to have changed him too much. His game is still high energy and creative. It’s a perfect combination for him, but he’s changed from being a wide player in a 4-2-3-1 to a scurrier and creator in a midfield three. It suits him.
It’s a perfect combination for him, but he’s changed from being a wide player in a 4-2-3-1 to a scurrier and creator in a midfield three. It suits him.
Georginio Wijnaldum
In the more open games this season, Georginio Wijnaldum has looked like quite a player. He’s strong and agile, and his gymnastics background shows through.
As part of Liverpool’s hard-working, intensely pressing midfield trio, he works well with the other two and helps Liverpool dominate the most important part of the pitch.
Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool’s creator in chief, Philippe Coutinho can score from distance and pick a perfect pass.
It’s telling though that Jurgen Klopp has kept Coutinho out of that midfield three behind him. He’s the perfect number 10 in this Liverpool team in that there are three hard-working players behind him, but that allows him to drift wide and into space.
From here he can see the game and boss it.
Sadio Mane
The width in the team comes from Sadio Mane, who floats around and finds space. On the counter attack, he is one of the most dangerous players in the league. And against Chelsea this Friday, his form, his pace and his directness could be a horrible combination for Gary Cahill and the newly-signed David Luiz to deal with.
Roberto Firmino
If Daniel Sturridge starts up front, Liverpool might have a problem. With Sturridge in the team, you always get the feeling that Liverpool are carrying a passenger, albeit a passenger who can always get you a goal.
Against the bigger teams, though, Jurgen Klopp will surely opt for the hard-working Roberto Firmino in the striker’s role, and against Chelsea – a team who will play with an intensity to make life difficult for Liverpool’s midfield – Firmino would be the perfect option.
Also bear in mind the injury to John Terry: David Luiz may have to start this game at centre back, and although he’s probably not as comical a defender as many in England think he is, putting him under pressure when he’s on the ball could make for an uncomfortable night for the Brazilian.
Joe Allen’s transfer to Stoke City was an odd one in many ways.
The Potters were in need of a defensive midfielder, Allen had just finished an excellent European Championship, the deal looked a little like a team drawn in by some good form rather than one addressing their weaknesses. Allen has never been, and will never be, the deep-lying midfielder that Stoke need to balance their side. Instead, he has been used in an advanced role and kept the supremely talented Bojan out of the side.
As the team has looked short of ideas creatively-speaking and lacklustre defensively, Allen has been the outlier. His performances have largely been a standout in the early games of this season. Allen’s 1.3 key passes-per-game is hardly phenomenal compared to the rest of the league, but only Xherdan Shaqiri has been able to create more than the Welshman. While Allen has completed more tackles-per-game than any of his team-mates and is second to only Geoff Cameron when it comes to interceptions.
For all of his failings at Anfield, particularly in his early days, Allen is an integral cog in the Stoke side and it has taken only a handful of Premier League games. Mark Hughes is already under severe pressure, but Allen has repaid his manager’s faith. His late equaliser at Old Trafford was a result of good fortune and wise positioning from the former Liverpool man and might just have earned his manager a little longer at the helm.
The importance of Allen to Hughes’ team is clear, it is emphasised by the fact that he has recently pushed club-record signing, Giannelli Imbula, to the bench. Like so many managers in the early part of the season, Hughes is manipulating his squad to find the best combination of his immensely talented midfielders. Allen is unlikely to remain in the same attacking midfield role throughout this season, although his versatility and good form should allow him to retain a starting berth.
Allen is not the type of player that Jurgen Klopp felt he could fit into his side, but he certainly is an excellent acquisition for Stoke City. While Hughes continues to search for his best combination in the middle third, Allen’s early performances in the red and white of the Potters has nailed him down as one of the player’s to build the side around. A deal that was part of an underwhelming summer for Stoke, Allen could yet prove to be a key difference as they strive to turn their season around. Giving Hughes an array of additional options in midfield and upgrading the quality of the squad, Allen might yet prove to be one of the summer’s smartest signings.
We’re not sure if this makes positive or grim reading for Arsenal fans, but The Times are claiming that Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are willing to commit to new contracts at the club, as long as the Londoners pay them £250,000-per-week.
What’s the story?
Well, we sit up and take notice when The Times drop a news story, and this one really is interesting. Indeed, the respected newspaper claim that as Arsenal’s attempts to tie Sanchez and Ozil down to new, long-term contracts, rumble on the pair are willing to commit for £500,000-per-week – £250,000-per-week apiece. That’s a whole heap of cash.
Talks are set to continue over the current international break, but one thing’s clear, committing to the deals will cost Arsenal £140,000-per-week more than they were initially expecting, with both players’ demands now £70,000-per-week over initially discussed £180,000-per-week figures.
Although it may seem like the attacking stars are holding their club to ransom, both are thought to be aware of inflating wages across the Premier League due to the new TV deal, while the falling value of the pound is believed to have hit foreign players hardest.
Too risky for Arsenal to say no?
Well, The Times have been running hard with this story for a while now, with their update back in August having revealed that there were ‘issues’ between the parties negotiating. It appears that the Gunners remain eager to tie both men down to new contracts, as they, quite understandably, want to keep them around.
In the case of Ozil, Bild have claimed that he would be open to re-joining Real Madrid (although their desire to re-sign him is not really known), suggesting that he’s already weighing up his options, of which there would many. Sanchez too has been aligned with a move, with Sport having claimed over the summer that he wanted to join Juventus and that he had informed Arsene Wenger of his wishes. Although this seems sensationalist, there may be some desire on the part of the Chilean to move on in search of trophies, with the attacker known to be fiercely competitive and ambitious.
Can Arsenal cope without them?
The simple answer is probably not. Maybe the Gunners could adjust in the event they lose one of the pair, but to see both move on (which you would assume would be the case before too long if the club are unable to tie them down to new deals) would be catastrophic.
As the numbers aboveÂshow, Sanchez and Ozil were by far and away the Gunners’ key attacking midfielders last season. The pair led the way in terms of goals and assists and heavily outranked their positional rivals with their overall score. It could be argued that replacing both is possible in the transfer market, but to sign the calibre of player needed would set Wenger back well over £100m.
Should Arsenal commit?
Almost certainly. In the current climate Arsenal have the money, so keeping their two most important players should be a no-brainer. When rivals such as Yaya Toure earn well over £200,000-per-week, the pair have every right to ask for comparable salaries – although that seems an unedifying sentence on reflection!
Just 13 games into his Sunderland career and David Moyes already has only one left to save his job, according to reports from Mirror Football.
Having inherited a depleted squad from Sam Allardyce late in the summer, Moyes has inevitably struggled to make the Black Cats competitive in the Premier League, leaving the club in the same mess they seem to find themselves in around this time every season.
Indeed, the Wearsiders have made the worst ever start to a Premier League season after ten games, picking up a meagre two points and conceding a staggering 20 goals.
Inevitably, Mirror Football believe the winds of change are circling around the club once again, with Moyes now facing the sack unless his side win away at Bournemouth on Saturday – no easy task considering the Cherries haven’t lost a league game at the Vitality Stadium since the opening day of the season.
But who could replace Moyes in the Stadium of Light dugout? Is there actually a candidate who’d do a better job? We have taken a look at the options…
Gary Rowett
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Gary Rowett has been performing minor miracles at Birmingham City ever since taking the job in 2014 off the back of reaching the fourth-tier playoff final with Burton Albion. Indeed, despite inheriting a team in 23rd place and club enthralled in boardroom scandal, he kept the Blues up, achieved a solid mid-table finish last season and is now pushing for a playoff spot.
A lack of top flight experience (even as a player) somewhat blemishes the 42-year-old’s credentials, however, and he’s famously Birmingham through-and-through. Would he leave the club now they’re finally on the up?
Frank de Boer
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Frank de Boer was sacked by Inter Milan earlier this week and will want to take the chance to prove his former employers wrong as soon as possible.
The iconic Oranje man fits the typical template of total-football-inspired Dutch managers who boast tactical and technical knowledge in equal measure and his record at Ajax was fantastic, winning four Eredivisie titles and often upsetting the odds in the Champions League despite losing key players every summer.
De Boer has been linked with Premier League jobs on umpteen occasions before, although they’re usually of a higher calibre than the potential Sunderland vacancy.
Ryan Giggs
Any available job in the top two tiers of English football inevitably has Ryan Giggs’ name attached to it.
The Welshman is yet to get his chance as a permanent manager but was part of David Moyes’ coaching staff, served as United caretaker briefly in 2014, worked as Louis van Gaal’s assistant for two years and spent his entire career playing under Sir Alex Ferguson.
In a nutshell, few can boast more exposure to some of the game’s greatest gaffers, but whether he can put all the theory into practice remains to be seen. No doubt, appointing him to play catch-up in a relegation battle would be a complete sink-or-swim exercise.
Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp has spent 18 months out of the Premier League but the 69-year-old may have one job left in him before retiring. The former Portsmouth, West Ham and QPR man has been involved in relegation scraps before and knows exactly what it takes to get himself out of them, although his record of second tier avoidance isn’t exactly outstanding.
Sunderland’s best hope of survival, however, is clearly wholesale manoeuvres in the January window and despite his ageing years, Redknapp remains an absolute master of the transfer market. But the underlying concern is that Redknapp would be simply another short-term appointment – he could save Sunderland’s season, but they’d likely end up in the same mess this time next year.
Sam Allardyce
Sunderland fans must be thinking it – get back Sam Allardyce. The former England boss may still be shrouded in controversy but there’s no doubt he was taking Sunderland in the right direction and felt like the perfect fit for the Wearside club, who he’d once represented as a player.
It’s still very much his squad so the 62-year-old could well have an instantaneous impact, by simply reinstalling the philosophy that kept the Black Cats up last season. But whether Allardyce is ready to return to football after his humiliating Three Lions departure remains to be seen.
Liverpool’s season has brought much hope and optimism for Reds supporters with many now firmly of the belief the club can finally end their title drought that has lasted 26 years.
Jurgen Klopp has already ensured the squad was well prepared for the upcoming season. However, flaws currently exist in the present group, with many positions still needing upgrading for the Reds to ensure a title win come May.
Many Kopites may not agree with the statement, but Liverpool’s frailties in defence could prove to be their Achilles heel in pursuit of a first Premier League title.
As previously witnessed with other title contenders, improvements must be made on a window-by-window basis with teams not resting on their laurels.
So, here are THREE players Liverpool should sell this January and THREE they should bring in as they aim to ensure the opening months of the campaign are not wasted.
IN – Jordan Amavi
Being honest, it’s difficult to comprehend Jordan Amavi still being at Aston Villa following their relegation to the Championship if it weren’t for his injury woes.
The French left-back was Villa’s most impressive performer before a devastating knee problem forced him out of action for almost one year.
Now the time has passed and Amavi is starting to showcase his talent once again with the Villans. The former Nice left-back was a France U-21 international and widely tipped to replace the ageing Patrice Evra in the first-team, so he clearly has talent.
OUT – Alberto Moreno
What a disastrous signing Alberto Moreno has proven to be. The Spanish left-back was signed with high promise in July 2014 from Sevilla and was expected to solve Liverpool’s long-term issue at left-back.
However, Moreno has instead proven worse than any previous full-back in recent times, and it’s time the club cut their losses with him and try claim a portion of the £20million paid to Sevilla back.
IN – Virgil Van Dijk
Klopp would have to search far and wide to find a centre-back with better potential than Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch defender continues to gain plaudits for his impressive performances for Southampton, and it looks likely he will continue to grow from strength-to-strength.
With a £25million release clause, Klopp would be foolish to dismiss Van Dijk considering Liverpool’s horrendous issues defensively.
OUT – Mamadou Sakho
Not many people are aware of the off-field difficulties Klopp has faced with Sakho, but the French international’s future at the club is seemingly over with his disciplinary issues during the club’s pre-season tour, it would seem, the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Klopp must attempt to find a potential suitor for Sakho for a reasonable price as he is yet to feature in the Premier League so far this season.
The German boss is struggling to ensure clean-sheets for his side, but Sakho obviously isn’t seen as the answer to his problems.
IN – Quincy Promes
Promes is unquestionably the finest talent in Russian football at the moment.
The Dutch international has been sensational for Spartak Moscow over the past 18 months, and he continues to spearhead the Red and Whites’ charge towards a league title.
Promes’ ability could be described as similar to Sadio Mane’s. However, the Dutch international may require time to adapt to the Premier League as the pace is somewhat different to that of Russian football.
OUT – Daniel Sturridge
Football Soccer Britain – Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur – EFL Cup Fourth Round – Anfield – 25/10/16Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge looks dejected after a missed chanceReuters / Phil NobleLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for furthe
It’s not difficult to work out that Daniel Sturridge’s relationship with Klopp is not overly healthy. The German manager refuses to allow Sturridge his chance to shine in the first-team when key players are missing through injury.
Now with the form of Divock Origi, Liverpool no longer need Sturridge as his injuries also continue to be an issue.
A struggling Premier League club would certainly love to take a gamble on someone with the credentials of Sturridge.