Tony Pulis admits he does not know if he will still be Stoke boss next season but hopes to remain as manager.
Pulis has come in for criticism from some sections of the Potters faithful over the course of the campaign following a difficult season in which Stoke have been involved in the relegation battle.
The manager insists he wants to remain with the club but Pulis admits he does not yet know whether or not he will still be Stoke boss next season.
“I hope so. I am still enjoying it here,” he told the Sentinel when asked if he was staying as manager.
“Ten years ago I sat down in front of three or four hundred people in the Waddington Suite when I first arrived and said I am very proud to be Stoke City manager… and I’m still proud.”
Despite Stoke’s struggles this year they could finish as high as 10th should they win at Southampton in their final Premier League fixture of the campaign on Sunday.
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Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway has dismissed thoughts that the Eagles made pointless signings in the transfer window, as reported by Sky Sports.
Holloway was the busiest Premier League manager in the transfer window but didn’t add two of his new boys in his 25 man squad, leaving them free to leave already.
The loan window for Football League clubs re-opens tomorrow and so Stephen Dobbie and Florian Marange will both leave the south London club despite only singing a few weeks ago.
Holloway didn’t realise that he would be able to bring in the calibre of player that he did in the final few weeks of the transfer window and wouldn’t have signed the other players if he did.
“It is utter madness,” said Holloway.
“Clearly, the rules have been brought in to guard against the top clubs stacking and racking players because they have the finances to do just that.
“But when I signed Dobbie and Marange, I can promise you that I did so in good faith.”
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“I had no idea when we did the deals for Stephen and Florian that we would be able to conduct so much business in the final few days of the window.”
Former Arsenal icon Jens Lehmann has told Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to reject interest from the Premier League leaders in favour of a move to Barcelona.
The German stopper has been heavily linked with a switch away from the Bundesliga in recent times, and is thought to be a January target for the London club.
However, Barca are also keen on the 21-year-old, who has emerged as a genuine alternative to Liverpool’s Pepe Reina, as they search for a replacement for the soon to be out-of-contract Victor Valdes.
Arsene Wenger is believed to be looking into the possibility of replacing his current number one Wojciech Szczesny, and is thought to see Ter Stegen as player with huge potential.
But, former Arsenal keeper Lehmann has urged his compatriot to look past English interest and instead pursue a transfer to Barca.
“Ter Stegen would be a great goalie for Barca,” Lehmann told The Express.
“He’d adapt well to the Spanish league, he plays well with both feet and Barca’s style of play would suit him down to the ground.
“I see him better off there than in the Premier League.”
Could Marc-Andre Ter Stegen revel at Arsenal?
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This season was supposed to be the start of a new era for Tottenham, the chance to finally move on from the waning memories of Champions League football under Harry Redknapp and to carve out something special under AVB.
But as is so often the case with Spurs in the last few years they have found themselves mid-way through a season and back to square one. AVB’s grand master plan failed to convince, and under new man Sherwood the signs so far just point to more of the same mediocrity. We were promised a return to the good old days of eye-catching attacking football, but in reality the Premier League club have continued their trend of ponderous and ineffectual forward play.
The stats don’t lie, Spurs have mustered a miserly 37 league goals so far; almost half the amount Liverpool have managed in the same amount of time.
Spurs’ Champions League charge has been blighted by a goal shy frontline, and given the investment made in the summer have the club simply made the wrong choices?
Roberto Soldado is undoubtedly a world-class striker; his return of 25, 27 and 30 goals in his three seasons at Valencia underlines this, but for Spurs the Spanish forward has been woefully below par. So is this a case of square pegs in round holes for the club that pride themselves on the way they conduct their transfer business?
For Valencia Soldado was the main man, the focal point of every attack and the person that the rest of the team were hell bent on supplying. The likes of Feghouli, Mata and Silva were all charged with finding the Spaniard, and more often than not he was there to provide that clinical final touch.
At Spurs though the blueprint seems to be different; there seems to be a need for a more complete type of forward. It is no wonder that someone like Defoe has been so marginalised throughout his time in North London given how little he contributes to all-round play, for me Soldado suffers these same shortcomings. Adebayor by contrast is your typical Premier League lone striker, someone that can hold the ball up and run into channels throughout the 90 minutes. Soldado by contrast needs someone in and around him to create his chances, but with the midfield three sitting so deep it is unsurprising that he has netted just the 6 league goals.
So the question really is why didn’t Spurs go for someone else last summer?
The club surely knew what they wanted, so the decision to go in for Soldado over someone like Christian Benteke seems a little baffling. When you fork out £26m for a frontman you get the impression money isn’t really the issue here, Benteke was well within the clubs reach yet they chose to pass up on the Belgian forward.
Benteke ticks all the boxes; he is an imposing presence able to lead the line but with the inherent qualities to test even the best defences. To cap it all off he is just 23, the sort of age that fits Daniel Levy’s transfer model and someone with the potential to grow further still. Benteke may not be having the best of seasons at Aston Villa, but if you take his 18 months in England as a whole you see someone that has had a profound effect on one of the divisions struggling sides.
What makes things worse is that Benteke wanted to leave over the summer, a written transfer request for many spelt the end of his time in the midlands, with North London his likely destination. Some may argue that Benteke was the greater risk, his youth and inexperience rendering him inadequate for leading the Spurs line at this stage. That said 19 league goals in a pretty average Villa side would suggest he has what is required to flourish at a bigger Premier League club even now; an opportunity that Spurs unfortunately passed up on.
Yesterdays showing may have renewed some of the early optimism regarding Soldado, with fans keen to buy into this development of a partnership with Adebayor. When you spend £26m you want something ready-made and not someone that you need to try and ‘fit in’.
Soldado is world-class but unfortunately at completely the wrong club given the way they are looking to play. Perhaps Spurs got carried away with the Bale money and sensationalism came ahead of rationality on the transfer front.
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If AVB had been bought Benteke rather than Soldado then he may still be in a job.
Further evidence of a misguided transfer policy here?
It is almost impossible to feel optimistic about Ipswich Town Football Club after the owners have pilled up huge amounts of debt and settled the team into a mid-table Championship side, but I don’t believe it is time to give up hope.
During the years of underachievement fans were always given the same lines of “it will be better next season” or “we are just one or two players from being a top side”.
For a while it seemed like the majority of fans, including myself, bought into those ideas and were always optimistic about the future of the club. However over the last ten years we have seen a series of bad managerial appointments and even worse signings that the club are now starting to pay for in more ways than one.
Naturally the majority of fans that were optimistic about the future of the club are now extremely pessimistic about the chances of things improving. The shift in the supporters mindset can be seen in the form of dropping attendances in more recent years.
When the club was managed by Roy Keane and then Paul Jewell there was still a reasonable amount of positivity floating around even though the results were a lot worse than they are now. Due to the disappointment of that era I think that fans are now a lot more negative about the future of the club even though things are slowly improving.
At the risk of sounding naive, I do believe that the Tractor Boys are now finally heading in the right direction under Mick McCarthy. The term ‘more money than sense’ springs to mind when I think back to when Marcus Evans first bought Ipswich but that can’t be said now.
Mick McCarthy may not be a modern day football manager but for all the criticisms you can aim at him he does have a lot of common sense and organisational abilities that have stabilised the club.
Although it was never confirmed it seems extremely likely that Mick McCarthy was the one who forced Simon Clegg out of the club, which for me was the first sign that common sense was starting to return to Portman Road.
It might appear to be a bit of a crude argument to say that common sense will be enough to get Ipswich moving in the right direction but so many clubs now are run by incompetent owners with neither money nor sense. The Suffolk side have appointed a sturdy manager and have stopped over spending whereas other Championship sides are struggling to appoint a manager that will last even one full season.
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The team no longer have the big names or Premier League experience that they once had in the form of signings like Ivan Campo or Jimmy Bullard but instead they are a tight unit of average players that are well organised and managed.
It is hard to see the bigger picture when you see the team get out classed by others like Leicester and it is also difficult to build up optimism after so many years of under achievement. I wouldn’t go as far to say that the current squad are good enough to get promoted but I am certain that Ipswich will improve under McCarthy as he continues to separate the wheat from the chaff and build a strong unit.
Since Roy Hodgson took the England hotseat in summer 2012, the former West Brom and Liverpool boss has maintained an insistence upon bringing through young home-grown talents towards international standard. That ultimate aim has been reinforced by Greg Dyke’s target of winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
From the days of the failed ‘Golden Generation’ it’s a refreshing change; dependency upon the Three Lions’ already established stars has undoubtedly contributed to the ill-heath English football, and particularly the English national team, is currently enduring.
But the unforeseen after effect has been that certain players, due to their age representing the illusion of high potential, are regularly given free passes into Hodgson’s squads regardless of their fitness or form.
The most notable example of this is public petition victim Tom Cleverley; the Manchester United midfielder’s form has been so stale over the last eighteen months that England fans have felt compelled to take legal action to stop him making it onto the plane to Brazil. Regardless of the wishes of the supporters, he will probably be one of the first names in Hodgson’s World Cup squad.
But we now have another protected champion in our midst whose place in the national team appears cemented on reputation alone – Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere.
No doubt, the 22 year-old is a bright spark and a talented prospect, but if we were to judge his current state on fitness and form – undoubtedly the criteria that will determine the World Cup fates of Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Steven Caulker, Aaron Lennon, Michael Carrick, Ross Barkley and Adam Johnson, to name but a few players on the England fringe – does the Gunners midfielder actually deserve to be going to Brazil 2014?
Don’t get me wrong; there’s certainly been patches of Wilshere’s season that I’ve found incredibly impressive. Who can forget his deft finish on a stunning Arsenal move to net against Norwich back in October? Or his brace in the Champions League against Marseille? And even as recently as mid January, the England international ran the show against Aston Villa, picking up a goal, an assist and a man of the match award in the process.
But overall, these performances have been far too sporadic. In between the match-winning, buccaneering, dazzling displays, Wilshere’s outings have ranged from sturdy to sub-standard.
In previous campaigns, we could have given the midfielder the benefit of the doubt. But he’s now an established member of an Arsenal side that spent four months at the top of the Premier League table, yet his domestic return of three goals and four assists in 23 appearances fails to represent either of those feats.
Just to put that into perspective, Barkley has found the same amount of successful strikes in his first full Premier League campaign, Sunderland’s Adam Johnson produced more goals in January alone, and Adam Lallana has been responsible for four goals and one assist more at Southampton.
Admittedly, it’s not all about attacking output – although you have to question the purposes of an attacking midfielder who has been outscored and out-assisted by a number of full-backs, centre-halves and defensive midfielders in the Premier League this season.
But it would take a blindly-loyal fool to admit that Wilshere hasn’t become a shadow of his former self. His short passing game has become sloppy, his effort off the ball lacks energy and desire, and those trade-mark surging runs at opposition defences, that once made the 22 year-old stand out against the grain of immobile, technically-challenged home-grown players, have been replaced by five-yard dribbles that most commonly end in a rather dubiously-awarded free kick.
Once hyped as the saviour of English football and worthy of a place in Barcelona’s legendary midfield, the last nine months of Wilshere’s Arsenal career can be best defined by the amount of fouls he’s won by exaggerating the robust challenges of opposing midfielders. If Arsene Wenger wants Arjen Robben to quit the theatrics, I suggest he quarantines the infection in the Emirates camp first.
Ok, so current form aside. We shouldn’t discredit the fact that Jack Wilshere has put in a number good performances for England in the past – most notably against Brazil at Wembley – and seeing as Ashley Cole and Jermain Defoe’s England inclusion will be decided on prior international showings, that right should be extended to the Gunners star.
But now the young midfielder faces a lengthy injury lay-off for a hairline foot fracture, requiring six weeks of rehabilitation before he’s allowed to return to training at London Colney. England’s first World Cup match is on the 14th of June, giving Wilshere just a month and a half following his sideline bout to fully revive his fitness and form.
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As if fate had foreseen, Roy Hodgson informed reporters just hours before Wilshere was stretchered off against Denmark that ‘loyalty’ wouldn’t affect his decision to only include fully fit players in his World Cup squad.
But through reputation alone, the Arsenal midfielder’s situation will force the England manager to go back on his word. No matter how impressive the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Ross Barkley and Gareth Barry are between now and May-time, Wilshere’s name has already been written on the team sheet in permanent marker. Whether he walks, runs, crawls or is carried on a stretcher, his place on the plane comes with a guarantee.
At the start of this article, I described Hodgson’s emphasis on youth as a refreshing change. However, considering the 66 year-old is now selecting World Cup places not on the best England has to offer but on what could be the best we have to offer in five or ten years-time, ignoring the fitness and form of far more deserving players in the process, is this change actually making the English game any healthier?
No – it’s teaching players like Wilshere that heralded potential alone can get you into the England squad, regardless of whether or not you’ve proved you deserve to be there.
It is time to shed a collective tear football fans, because arguably the greatest World Cup of all time is less than a week away from it’s ultimate conclusion.
But before we’re all hit by a case of post-tournament blues, there is still plenty of football to look forward to, first and foremost two zesty semi-finals this week. Hosts Brazil will take on bookies’ favourites Germany on Tuesday evening, whilst Wednesday will witness and equally enticing clash between the Netherlands and Argentina.
Thus, as we at Football FanCast wait in near uncontrollable anticipation for the two heavyweight contests, this article takes a look at the FIVE World Cup semi-finalists that Liverpool would love to get their hands on this summer
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ANGEL DI MARIA TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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ANGEL DI MARIA
Reportedly offered to the European elite for a more than reasonable £40million despite claiming the Man of the Match award in last season’s Champions League final…
…Liverpool are by no means the only club baying for Angel Di Maria’s signature this summer.
An unexpected transition into a more central role saw the Real Madrid star finish up as La Liga’s top creator last season, as seen below…
Here’s a short clip of his best bits from Los Blancos’ European title campaign…
//www.youtube.com/embed/d_glrv1uzkY
And the 26 year-old netted this late strike against Switzerland to secure Argentina a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals…
With Alexis Sanchez seemingly not keen on an Anfield switch, Di Maria would be a more than suitable alternative – he also meets Brendan Rodgers’ demand for ‘multipurpose signings’.
But recent speculation suggests Manchester United and PSG are planning to blow their rivals out of the water with huge offers for the South American…
MARCOS ROJO
Another Albiceleste star said to be on the Anfield radar amid Liverpool’s need for a high-quality left-back is Sporting Lisbon’s Marcos Rojo, whom they’ve allegedly been tracking for the last 18 months.
The 24 year-old is a classy and confident footballer, typified by this ‘Rabona’ clearance in his own penalty box against Bosnia in the World Cup’s group stages…
In fact, his overall form in Brazil has been incredibly impressive, as seen below:
Capable of playing at centre-back or left-back and valued by Mirror Football at just £10million, the 6 foot 2 South American could prove to be an astute addition for the Reds.
Here’s some of Rojo’s best moments for Argentina and Sporting Lisbon…
//www.youtube.com/embed/9-B_tmW6-_o
BERNARD
Liverpool narrowly missed out on Brazilian prodigy Bernard to Shakhtar Donetsk last summer. But following news that the single-named hot-shot is looking for an exit plan following a wave of civil unrest in Ukraine, the Reds are widely expected to revive their interest…
The 21 year-old has struggled for form with Hirnyky but comes with a preceding reputation from his Atletico Minero days, claiming eleven goals in his final campaign.
The Selecao ace, who featured as a substitute against Croatia and Mexico, offers a mixture of blistering pace, netting prowess and sensational technique, as seen below…
//www.youtube.com/embed/Sb05QPFhqp4
And it’s believed he could be available this summer for around £19million.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
//www.youtube.com/embed/VIjIvEDIbZA?autoplay=1
According to the Metro, Liverpool are eyeing Netherlands international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as a potential replacement for Barcelona-bound Luis Suarez…
The 30 year-old has endured a limited role at the World Cup as understudy to Robin van Persie, but demonstrated his quality with a goal and assist during a 15 minute substitute appearance against Mexico, leading to this unnecessarily aggressive celebration:
..and this lego-based recreation…
Further examples of the Schalke striker’s firepower are not hard to find; he boasts a record of 91 in 139 appearances for the Miners, including this wonder strike against Real Madrid last season…
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Recent speculation suggests the former Ajax, Los Blancos and AC Milan assassin could be prepared to force a move to Anfield:
And with just a year left on Huntelaar’s current contract, Schalke will feel compelled to sell if they’re approached with a decent offer.
JULIAN DRAXLER
Liverpool haven’t been directly linked to Schalke prodigy Julian Draxler for some time – but who wouldn’t want to sign this guy?
The 20 year-old burst onto the scene in the 2012/13 campaign, claiming 13 goals from midfield across all competitions, and has been dazzling suitors with ever since with his mixture of creativity and skill, typified by this sensational assist for Raul…
Here’s a look at Draxler’s stats map from his breakthrough season at the Veltins Arena…
And despite not matching his proficiency in front of goal from the previous campaign, the Germany international was in good form last season, as seen below…
Here’s a clip of Draxler’s Top Five goals for the Miners:
//www.youtube.com/embed/wnImymrd_60
The Bundesliga youngster is destined for a big move to a major club, but has insisted it won’t happen this summer, amid well-documented interest from Arsenal…
After a transfer deadline day which could be best described as underwhelming, Leeds could well benefit from a few new faces to improve the mood at Elland Road.
Even with the transfer window closed there are options available, with the free agent list heavily populated for now. A host of experienced players and stars who have endured difficult spells are looking for new homes, with the Whites potentially in a position to benefit.
Here are six freebies for Leeds to consider…
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CLICK ON CHRIS EAGLES TO REVEAL THE SIX
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Joseph Yobo
Released by Fenerbahce at the end of last season after a brief spell with Norwich, Yobo was a shock decent performer at the World Cup. The big Nigerian is physically imposing and has bags of experience, making him a potentially top class Championship player.
His wages may be an issue, but Leeds could gamble on him.
Tomasz Kuszczak
The former Manchester United stopper has been starring for Brighton in recent seasons, but his spell on the South Coast came to an end over the summer. Marco Silvestri is a new arrival, but the Pole could be used to keep the Italian on his toes given his vast experience in England.
Chris Eagles
After falling out with Dougie Freedman the ex-Manchester United youth star found himself released a few months ago and in search of a new club. With pace and trickery in his armoury, the winger could be a wise addition for Leeds, who with big club status could tempt him to Elland Road.
Jermaine Pennant
Pennant has been searching for a new club for much of 2014 after being released by Stoke, and he may well be a good signing for Leeds. The 31-year-old has had a troubled past, yet his talent has been shown in the Premier League and in Spain.
He may prove to be a unsalvageable now, but Leeds could attempt to get something from him with a short-term deal.
Jack Collison
Injuries curtailed the once promising Welshman’s progress and he has never really recovered from them to regain full fitness. West Ham lost patience with him over the summer, and a switch to the Championship could be a good option.
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He spent some time at Wigan recently, where he showed glimpses of his talent.
Matt Etherington
Once a Stoke and West Ham hero, at 33 Etherington no longer has the pace that made him a handful for defenders in the top tier, but his technical abilities are still evident.
One last push for another stint in the Premier League may tempt the veteran to Leeds, who could benefit from his know-how.
The January transfer window has never been the ideal time to buy players, but it does give Premier League clubs an important opportunity to offload some deadwood before the campaign’s final run in.
That’s something Arsene Wenger should bear in mind – his Arsenal squad, although clearly blessed with talent throughout, is tremendously imbalanced and the fat can certainly be trimmed off a select few departments.
Thus, here’s a list of FIVE players the Gunners could look to move on when the transfer window reopens. Some aren’t getting enough game time, others would add some serious cash to Arsenal’s transfer kitty and a few are simply surplus to requirements.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ARSENE WENGER TO REVEAL ALL
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FRANCIS COQUELIN
Once tipped for greatness as a youngster in Arsenal’s academy, Francis Coquelin is now 23 years of age and arguably further away from the Gunners first team than ever before.
Indeed, the Frenchman has only ever made 21 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, whilst loan spells with Lorient in 2010/11 and Freiburg in 2013/14 were hardly inspiring. For the latter, he managed just 16 league outings.
So far this season, the defensive midfielder has made just one appearance – drafted in as an emergency left-back during Arsenal’s Capital One Cup tie with Southampton, which ended in a 2-1 defeat. Here’s the highlights:
//www.youtube.com/embed/f7qDnwseHZg?rel=0
Injuries have certainly taken their toll on Coquelin throughout the years, but at this point, it’s abundantly clear that Wenger simply doesn’t fancy him.
Despite being one of a rare few genuine holding midfielders on the Emirates roster, he’s not even being considered as an alternative to Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini, whilst youngster Hector Bellerin appears to have overtaken him in the pecking order at No.2.
It’s time for the Gunners to cash in on Coquelin or at least send him out on loan. QPR were reportedly eying a temporary deal on deadline day:
And Harry Redknapp could reignite his interest in January if Rangers’ midfield injury crisis, that’s already seen Joey Barton, Sandro and Jordan Mutch sidelined for extended periods this season, continues.
JOEL CAMPBELL (on loan)
Joel Campbell received rave reviews during the World Cup, as the brightest spark in a Costa Rica side that surpassed expectations by reaching the quarter-finals. Here’s a look at the South American highlights:
//www.youtube.com/embed/w8ACcND8cOU?rel=0
And that followed an impressive loan spell with Olympiacos last season, where the young forward netted this stunner against Manchester United in the Champions League.
//www.youtube.com/embed/ATcwmXJYbDU?rel=0
So as Arsenal resisted the advances of a number of top European clubs during the off-season…
…many assumed the 22 year-old would be given a significant role in the first team squad this year.
But he’s thus far made just two appearances for his parent club – a Capital One Cup outing and a substitute stint in the league, consisting of just 16 minutes.
Campbell looks like a real prospect that clubs in the Premier League and yonder would love to get their hands on. Wenger needs to secure a loan move for the forward in January, before his development begins to stifle.
LUKAS PODOLSKI
If there’s one player almost certain to leave the Emirates in January, it’s unquestionably Lukas Podolski, with the German international recently revealing he’s been left frustrated by a lack of playing time:
Podolski has proved a decent acquisition for Arsenal, netting 19 times in 56 Premier League appearances since moving to north London in summer 2012. Here’s a look at some of his goals:
//www.youtube.com/embed/xfB7id7N_g0?rel=0
His experience is important too, having claimed 118 caps for Germany, featured in the World Cup-winning side during the summer and previously plied his trade with Bayern Munich.
<br
But the winger-forward is now 29 years of age and has managed just 37 minutes in the Premier League this term from three substitute outings.
Arsene Wenger clearly doesn’t favour him as a candidate for the lone front-man role and starting opportunities out wide will be equally hard to come by, following the Gunners’ summer swoop for Alexis Sanchez.
A few clubs have been linked with the German in recent weeks but common consensus views a move to Inter Milan as the likeliest scenario:
NACHO MONREAL
Admittedly, the last thing Arsenal need right now is further reductions to their defensive depth – clearly Arsene Wenger is light on bodies at the back and should be recruiting for that department, not making cuts, when the transfer window reopens.
But second-choice left-back Nacho Monreal has hardly hit the heights expected since the Gunners paid Malaga around £8.5million for his services back in January 2013 – in fact, he’s often the north London side’s biggest liability in defence.
Never comfortable with the power and pace of the Premier League, it’s probably time Arsenal cut Monreal loose, having never truly replicated the attacking performance of his impressive debut against Stoke City eighteen months ago:
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//www.youtube.com/embed/SqalemDf0Hw?rel=0
The Emirates fanbase don’t seem too fond of him either.
But squad depth and potential suitors are both major issues. Resultantly, it’s more than likely that Monreal will remain with the Gunners until at least next summer.
SANTI CAZORLA
Arsenal’s midfield is overloaded with offensive players – in truth, probably a couple too many.
And although Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere have their Arsenal careers firmly cemented for the foreseeable future, Santi Cazorla may not be so lucky.
That’s certainly not a dig at the Spain international’s quality. Cazorla’s technical assets verge upon world class and his ambidextrous feet make him capable of taking up virtually any role across the middle of the park.
But now 29 years of age and having never truly replicated the form in his debut season, that saw him amass twelve goals and twelve assists in the Premier League and claim Arsenal’s Player of the Year award, he’s quickly becoming expendable at the Emirates. Here’s his highlights from 2012/13:
//www.youtube.com/embed/SqalemDf0Hw?rel=0
Cazrola rejected speculation regarding a move back to La Liga during the summer as he was linked to Atletico Madrid:
But could change his mind in January considering he’s no longer a guaranteed starter for the Gunners.
Despite investing in both Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli as ‘quick fixes’ to the loss of Luis Suarez, Liverpool are already considering a move to bring a strike hero back to Anfield. No, it’s not ‘El Pistolero’, but instead another summer signing, Divock Origi.
The Belgian forward truly announced himself as one of Europe’s top emerging talents at the World Cup over the summer with a neat goal against Russia, and was promptly snapped up by the Merseysiders in a deal worth around £10m. A part of the arrangement with Lille saw the 19-year-old head straight from Melwood back to France for a season-long loan, but reports are now suggesting that Liverpool are working on a deal with the Ligue 1 side to cut the spell short.
So, could it be a good idea to get Origi back? We at FFC Towers thinK so, and here are FIVE reasons to back it up…
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CLICK ON ORIGI TO REVEAL THE FIVE
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Goals, goals, goals
While Mario Balotelli, Daniel Sturridge, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert have notched just two goals between them this term, Origi already has five in all competitions for his club.
The teenage forward has been in great form for Lille so far this season demonstrating his skills and composure in both domestic and European action to further build on his burgeoning reputation. Here’s his most recent effort for Belgium…
And here are all of his Lille goals prior to 2014/15…
//www.youtube.com/embed/mM55i3Ye60M
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Lambert’s struggles
Football – West Ham United v Liverpool – Barclays Premier League – Upton Park – 20/9/14Liverpool’s Rickie Lambert looks dejected at full timeMandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’BrienLivepicEDITORIAL 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
As mentioned on the previous slide, Lambert has really struggled since making his dream summer move back to Liverpool – who released him as a teenager. The 32-year-old was snapped up after fighting through the Football League with Southampton, with many fans and experts at the time predicting that he would prove to be an astute signing.
However, the experienced hit-man’s lack of speed and mobility have been ruthlessly exposed so far in the red shirt, with his bulky frame appearing out of place alongside the Merseysiders’ wealth of tricky individuals in attacking positions.
As the stats show, he’s appeared laboured and out of sync during his 137 minutes of action so far, contributing very little aside from a bundled consolation effort against Manchester City. This is a far cry from the Lambert we saw on the South Coast:
Added Depth
Football – Liverpool Training – St.Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland – 30/9/14Liverpool’s Fabio Borini (R) and Mario Balotelli during trainingMandatory Credit: Action Images / Matthew ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Daniel Sturridge’s much-publicised England injury really exposed the lack of quality options at Brendan Rodgers’ disposal. Without his second top scorer from last term, the Northern Irishman was forced to rely on an adjusting Balotelli, and seemingly past it Lambert and Borini – whom he openly wanted to sell over the summer.
With Sturridge’s tendency to pick up knocks, it’s likely that the same situation may occur again over the course of the season, so having Origi in reserve could be useful. The youngster will, likely, be content with a back-up position and could use his hunger to impress when handed opportunities.
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Versatility
While Origi is most comfortable as a striker, his pace and work rate have seen him used on the flanks at Lille through his fledgling career. This term he has spearheaded the attack on the bulk of occasions, yet he has been shifted to the right wing.
Last season the teen sensation also occupied a slot on the left flank, and such versatility is sure to appeal to Rodgers, who is known to favour a fluid attacking line in which his players drift into new positions.
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Allows for Borini to be sold
Even though Borini and his agent are publically stating that the Italian is going nowhere in January, a move away from Anfield looks to be on the cards. The 23-year-old was Rodgers’ first Liverpool signing back in 2012 as he arrived from Roma in a £10.5m deal, yet the switch hasn’t been a success.
Injury problems cut his first season short before a lack of European football on Merseyside saw him shunted out to Sunderland on loan ahead of a move away from the club during the last window being mooted. Liverpool accepted offers from the Black Cats and QPR and are likely to be presented with loan bids from clubs from Serie A in the new year, which will be tempting if Origi is back on the scene.