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Liverpool are blessed with two of the best attacking full-backs in world football at the moment. Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold make up an electric twosome who add extra pressure to any opposition already struggling with Jurgen Klopp’s blistering attack.

However, given Liverpool’s most recent performance as a team and Robertson’s personal numbers on international duty, does the German need to come up with a new game-plan?

Robertson vs Israel

Despite being awarded SofaScore’s Man of the Match rating, the Scotland captain put in a somewhat confusing performance.

His eye for breaking down attacks was sharp, evident in his two tackles and 6/8 ground duels won. He also tried to edge his side over the line by contributing three key passes and creating a goalscoring opportunity. But for all his efforts, the Scots still slumped to a 0-0 draw. Without their win in the penalty shootout, the result would have been a very disappointing one for all the work put in.

In fact, Robertson’s performance going forward was overall quite wasteful. In his 13 attempted crosses, he was only successful with six of them. He similarly attempted 13 long balls and pulled off just four accurate passes. He also lost the ball a whopping 28 times, which would be justified if his side managed to bag some goals, but given the scoreline, it could be something Klopp must review when the left-back returns to Merseyside.

Klopp may need a new strategy

Liverpool seriously struggled defensively against Aston Villa in their most recent Premier League fixture. The Villans fired an unbelievable seven goals past the reigning champions after making easy work of carving open their backline. Robertson lost possession 27 times that game but was without his usual attacking numbers to show for it.

Similarly, Gini Wijnaldum was also caught out, losing possession 11 times and failing to make any attacking contributions, leaving the left-flank looking very open (via Sofascore). With clubs now starting to expose Liverpool’s defence, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold must be more cautious when making their runs to join the attack.

Perhaps the £57.6million-rated defender was trying to make up for Sadio Mane’s absence against Villa, but with only Fabinho to rely on to protect the defence, Liverpool’s back four need a more solid line.

Once Thiago Alcantara returns to action, the Reds will have more chance creations in midfield, justifying Robertson staying back and defending for the majority of the game. Klopp must see Villa as a huge learning curve and potentially rethink his options before another team capitalises.

In other news, Liverpool may have ready-made Wijnaldum replacement in Curtis Jones…

Newcastle United fans may breathe a slight sign of relief as the Daily Mail have reported that the prospective takeover in the northeast would not be affected by the possible relegation from the Premier League this season.

Indeed, the Tyneside club are relatively comfortable in 13th place in the table at the moment on 35 points, eight above the dreaded drop zone with nine games left to play. Whilst the Magpies could see themselves as reasonably safe currently, it is still a mathematical possibility that they could eventually be relegated.

However, if the worst case scenario was to happen, then it would perhaps not be all doom and gloom at St. James’ Park, as the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabia-led consortium would reportedly not be affected by this situation.

The Daily Mail understands that the £300m bid does not include any clauses which relate to the possibility of relegation or, equally, European qualification. As per the report, the terms of the buyout were struck in early April and are locked in at £300m, with a non-refundable £17m deposit having already been paid to Ashley.

There is also the possibility of the agreed price taking on added value, were Steve Bruce to lead his team to FA Cup glory and continental competition for the 2020/21 season.

However, according to the Daily Mail, the only two things that can now scupper the takeover are the Premier League blocking it or, if it is approved, the buyers not producing the money. This can be seen as another encouraging sign towards the deal finally being completed.

Geordies, will the Premier League block the takeover or are you confident that it will go through? Comment below with your views!

Newcastle United appear to be preparing for life as usual with the Magpies scouts eyeing up a move for a new striker this summer.

What’s the word?

According to the Shields Gazette, Toon are moving ahead with their transfer plans despite the takeover saga continuing to rumble on into a 17th week of deliberations.

It’s claimed that the northeast outfit could launch an audacious loan swoop for Real Madrid flop Luka Jovic as they ‘look to inject goals’ into Steve Bruce’s misfiring frontline.

The 22-year-old earned a £60m move from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer but has only been able to feature for a total of 420 minutes, scoring twice, in La Liga as Los Galacticos clinched the crown from Barcelona.

Jovic is now valued at a mere £28.8m by Transfermarkt.

Joelinton benefit

Bruce’s strikers have endured a torrid time in the Premier League this season, scoring just five goals between them. It speaks volumes that Jonjo Shelvey, a box-to-box midfielder has bagged more on his own (six).

A move for Jovic is certainly interesting given his disappointing campaign in the Spanish capital but Toon’s scouts must’ve seen a fair bit of him in the Bundesliga last season considering that’s where they spotted Joelinton’s exploits at Hoffenheim.

However, the Serb international pretty much outranked United’s record £40m signing in all facets.

Firstly, he netted ten more goals than the Brazilian but Jovic also averaged more shots (three) and fewer dispossessions (1.4) and unsuccessful touches (2.3).

With Bruce admitting that Joelinton’s future may lie wider on the pitch, a move for a striker who scored over double the number of goals than he did could be shrewd business, particularly if it’s on loan as there’s far less financial risk at stake.

His introduction could certainly hand the Magpies’ two-goal frontman a new lease of life.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to interest in relegated PL prospect…

It’s no secret that Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho and Luis Campos appear to have a great working relationship.

The latter was very public in his praise of the Spurs boss earlier this season, saying: “Mourinho is like a brother to me. I know him very well and for a long time. He’s a wonderful person and the best coach in the world. So, of course, if he called me I would speak.”

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Naturally, that led to reports claiming that Campos, Lille’s current sporting director, would be open to taking up a similar role with the Lilywhites, and with the summer transfer window fast approaching, he appears to keen make a mark on Spurs one way or another.

According to Soccer Link, Campos has personally contacted Mourinho to offer him the chance to sign some of Lille’s top stars, including the likes of Mike Maignan, Victor Osimhen and Boubakary Soumare.

And after hearing about the news, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on Campos’ involvement.

One Spurs fan urged Daniel Levy to splash the cash this summer and take advantage of Campos’ offer.

Even despite the prospect of signing some of French football’s rising young stars, it’s quite telling that many Spurs would rather take Campos than any of the players mentioned.

Having a sporting director like Campos would give Spurs someone to help streamline their recruitment process, and his great relationship with Mourinho could make it a formidable double act.

Leicester are interested in Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard but may be forced to sell Kelechi Iheanacho in order to fund the move.

According to the Daily Mail, Brendan Rodgers is keen on reuniting with his former player by bringing him to the King Power this summer. The Foxes join fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Everton in the race for his signature, with interest from Napoli also on the map.

However, according to the report, Leicester are willing to cash in on Iheanacho and have stamped a £20million price tag on his head.

To coax the Frenchman to England after two years with the Scottish side, the Foxes must meet the £35m demand set by Celtic. Not ridiculous money by any means, but in the current climate, selling to buy seems like the only option for Leicester right now.

Edouard joined the Hoops in 2018 from Paris Saint-Germain following a successful loan stint from his native country’s capital. In his time in Scotland so far, the 22-year-old has bagged 60 goals in 126 appearances, tallying a whopping 21 goals and 12 assists in this Premiership campaign alone (via Transfermarkt).

As Leicester continue their push to once again challenge in the Premier League, a clinical striker like Edouard could seriously bolster their chances.

At just 22, Celtic’s target-man is notching up some very attractive numbers in front of goal, numbers which will be hugely beneficial to Leicester’s upcoming few seasons.

Jamie Vardy is currently the Foxes’ only outstanding forward, with others falling rather short of the expected mark. This is evident in their willingness to sell Iheanacho. Although more than capable of finding the back of the net, the Nigeria international has been limited to just 12 Premier League appearances this season (via Transfermarkt). This can be expected given Vardy’s phenomenal run of form, as he currently leads the way in the Golden Boot race.

However, a second-string striker must be able to challenge for the shirt and it seems Iheanacho is not up to the same standard. Edouard on the other hand certainly is. Not only do his numbers speak for themselves but Rodgers’ interest in being involved in the Frenchman’s career again shows he has always impressed the Northern Irish manager.

Would you like to see the Foxes sign Edouard this summer, Leicester fans? Join the discussion in the comments below…

In one of the more dramatic games of the Premier League this season, Manchester United thought they had clinched a remarkable victory against Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils found themselves 2-0 down, before a second-half rally saw them go 3-2 in front. However, having thought they had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, the Blades equalised in the dying moments of the game.

Speaking after the match, Marcus Rashford delivered an encouraging verdict on his side’s comeback, he said: “The manager knows when we play on front foot we’re a good team. The three goals is the response we managed to give. We have to keep pushing though – if we kept going then perhaps we would have got the win.”

After hearing the England international’s comments, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the forward.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted that Rashford would make for a better manager than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and that he is slyly taking a dig at the Norwegian.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has delivered an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League about his potential.

The Athletic journalist Simon Hughes said that the pathway between the academy and the first team at Liverpool is as clear as it has been since the 1990s, in an interview with The Anfield Wrap.

What did he say?

This season has seen a number of talented youngsters emerge at Liverpool and begin knocking on the door for first-team minutes.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the obvious example and has established himself as a starter and a crucial part of the team, but Nico Williams, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have also impressed.

Speaking to Liverpool podcast, The Anfield Wrap, Hughes said that the improvement in their academy is no mistake and is the result of more consistency and clarity at the club.

“I think at this moment in time, the pathway between the academy and the first team is, I don’t want to say clear, that is that wrong word, but there’s great accessibility and possibilities on that pathway than there has been at any point since the early 1990s,” Simon Hughes told The Anfield Wrap.

“I think the reason why is because the club has benefited from certain periods of consistency. Jurgen Klopp has been in charge for five years now but it still feels fresh, which is brilliant. I think for fans and everybody it still feels like it’s early days for them for some reason, but he’s been there for five years.

“Things are very clear about what it takes to become a Liverpool player and you know, one thing that I took from interviewing people and writing that article is if you don’t work hard and if you don’t get about the pitch you’ve got no chance, which I think is a great basis for any footballer, because they know, they can’t afford to think that they’re very good at any point.”

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Building for the future

Liverpool have as promising a group of academy players as they have had in some time, with Jones, in particular, pushing for greater involvement.

As Klopp’s current side begins to age, with a number of key figures now entering their late prime years, rejuvenating the squad will be really important and the academy clearly has a role to play in that.

Rhian Brewster, Ovie Ejaria and Harry Wilson have also impressed on loan spells and might hope for more first-team action next year.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Borussia Dortmund have a tall task this season.

Not only do they have to fight against their raging neighbours back in Bundesliga, but they also have one of the toughest Champions League groups out there with the likes of Barcelona and Inter Milan threatening their progress to the knockout stages.

But so far, they’re holding their own on all fronts – they are second in both competitions and definitely in the race to go the distance come the latter stages of the campaign.

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And seeing their performances as of late, there are a lot of things to be optimistic about if you are a fan of the Yellow Wall or, interestingly enough, a Real Madrid enthusiast.

The reason for that is quite simple and comes in the form of a 21-year-old defender, Achraf Hakimi.

Los Blancos’ Moroccan loanee has simply been on fire this season, giving his temporary team a huge boost when it mattered the most – in the Champions League.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Just recently, Borussia Dortmund welcomed Inter Milan at Signal Iduna Park and salvaged all three points, mounting a sensational comeback from being 2-0 down to winning 3-2 in the end.

Needless to say, with his two goals on the night, Hakimi was a crucial part of their triumph. But he did more than just that – he also deployed four shots, two of which were on target, three key passes and maintained a 86.1% passing accuracy.

Going the other way, Hakimi also tallied one tackle and one foul to his name, warranting an 8.31 Man of the Match rating by WhoScored’s ranking system.

By all means, Zinedine Zidane will be thrilled to hear his 21-year-old loanee was brilliant once again.

So far, he has played four games for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, scoring four goals in total.

This becomes even more impressive when we factor in that he’s actually a defender by trade.

If Hakimi continues developing like this, Real Madrid’s future will definitely be in safe hands.

It still remains to be seen, however, what kind of plans Los Blancos have with this exceptional young talent.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday will look to continue their quest for promotion this weekend even despite the uncertainty facing them off the pitch.

The Owls travel to league leaders West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon knowing they need to improve hugely if they are to achieve their goals under Garry Monk.

Far too often recently, the side have let vital results slip from their grasp, but that isn’t the only poor trend emerging in south Yorkshire.

On the Chalkboard

Top goalscorer Steven Fletcher has netted five times in 15 appearances this campaign, although he has now endured a run of six straight games without finding the net.

This has to be one of the main sources for their struggles in scoring goals – the club have managed just 14 goals in the ten league games under Monk’s stewardship, four of which came in the same match.

The 40-year-old is yet to find his best formation, often toying between one in attack and two up top with Atdhe Nuhiu usually the preferred partner, but not all of the blame can be attributed to the former central defender.

A solution to ending Fletcher’s disappointing drought actually lies elsewhere, out wide.

Adam Reach, Kadeem Harris and loanee Jacob Murphy are the only options Monk can call upon in the wing positions. All three average 0.8 crosses per game, which just isn’t enough considering the 6 foot 1 striker has been a target man throughout his lengthy career.

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It speaks volumes when Barry Bannan tops the charts for crossing with an average of 1.9 per game, over one more than each of the team’s wide options. This probably comes down to the fact that he is their set-piece taker.

Fletcher wins on average 6.5 aerial duels per game this season, so play to that strength. It only makes sense.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ inclusion on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or has been greeted with surprise from many sections of the footballing world, with fans of arch-rivals West Ham in disbelief at his nomination.

The France international has been a consistent performer for several years though it is fair to say that his performances have tailed off in recent times, best evidenced by the fact he has conceded 45 goals in 33 games in 2019, with 19 goals conceded this season.

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However, he did captain his side to the Champions League final and made many impressive saves along the way, but some Hammers supporters would argue that Lukasz Fabianski has been equally impressive in the Premier League.

As a result, some have mocked the fact that Lloris is considered to be amongst the best ten goalkeepers in the world, alongside names such as Alisson and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Here are some of the reactions from West Ham fans who have chosen to take amusement from the nomination.