Arsenal youngster Emmanuel Frimpong has moved across London to join Fulham on loan for the rest of the season as reported by Sky Sports.
The 21 year old has been on loan at Championship club Charlton this season after a spell with relegated Wolves at the end of last season.
The Gunners academy product has found first team opportunities at the Emirates limited since he turned 18 and will need plenty of game time at Craven Cottage to convince Arsene Wenger that he is worthy of a spot in his midfield.
Frimpong seems to have sold more t-shirts than he has had minutes on the pitch of late, but the Ghanaian born holding player will be keen to force his way into Martin Jol’s side.
After the departures of Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele in the summer, Jol has had to completely reform the middle of the pitch and Northern Irish defender Chris Baird has filled in for most of this season so far.
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Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Wednesday night for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
There is simply no downplaying the importance of the match as the Reds look to stay in the tie ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
It is easy to predict a number of players that will start at Anfield, but there is some uncertainty surrounding the three players that will feature in the Liverpool midfield.
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Jordan Henderson is Liverpool captain, but it would be fair to say that the England international has his doubters.
Indeed, it is difficult to pinpoint one thing that the 27-year-old does extremely well, and it might well be that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp leaves him on the bench against Man City.
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That is what the Liverpool supporters want to happen anyway, with a number taking to Twitter to beg their manager not to select Henderson, who is believed to be on £100,000 a week at Anfield, from the start.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
QPR boss Harry Redknapp believes there is a mole inside the club deliberately undermining him, after reports emerged he could face the sack at Loftus Road, according to the Daily Express.
The 67-year-old says he does not know whether reports regarding his future are true, but the fact a story was leaked suggesting he would be fired if QPR do not get a result against Manchester United today are evidence there is an ‘insider’ at the club looking to force him out.
Owner Tony Fernandes has given no indication on Redknapp’s future, but the former West Ham and Tottenham boss was as open and honest as ever in his pre-match press conference.
“I have had a great time and I want to carry on doing it,” he said. “But if the chairman decides otherwise because someone, somewhere has tried to cause me a problem by talking to someone at a paper, I know what the score is.
“I’m not silly, I’m very streetwise. Someone has tried to cause me a problem. I wasn’t born yesterday. Journalists get it from somewhere. Someone has said something. Obviously someone has.
“I don’t wonder who it is. I might look silly, but I’m not. There is always someone trying to put a spoke in.
“It is an ‘insider’. Who is this ‘insider’? They should check everyone’s phones and find out. That’s the best way. It’s easy. Get all their phones and see who has rung the journalist in question.”
Redknapp also poked fun at the suggestion he had to beat Manchester United in order to save his job.
“‘You’ve got to beat Manchester United’? They could have picked an easier one!” he said.
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“I have got a great relationship with the owners and the shareholders and if they want to make a change and feel they want to go in a different direction, that is up to them.
“I have loved every minute of my time here but if they decide otherwise, that is their decision. They are entitled to do that.
“I cannot lose any sleep over it. Whatever they do, they do. I would not be leaving home at 5.30am if I did not have the hunger. I would have turned over and gone back to sleep.”
target Lewis Holtby has refused to sign a new deal with German club Schalke, paving the way for a potential move to Anfield in the summer, the Mirror reports.
It is believed that the German international has failed to agree terms for a new deal with his current club after several months of negotiations, putting a host of interested suitors on alert.
Liverpool have reportedly been monitoring the 22-year-old’s progress and manager Brendan Rodgers is now set to step up his pursuit of the midfielder as the player is allowed to speak to foreign clubs from January.
Holtby, who has been capped three times by his country has stated his desire to play in the Premier League despite criticising the lack of a winter break.
“The break in the Bundesliga gives everyone the chance to have a rest,” he said.
“We also get the chance to go back and spend time with our families over Christmas, which is important.”
“I know how important football is to English fans over the Christmas break, but it must take its toll on the players.”
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“For the rest of us it doesn’t make too much sense because when players are tired and playing so regularly you do pick up little niggles and injuries.”
An announcement on Holtby’s future is expected later today and Rodgers will be keeping a close eye on the situation as he looks to strengthen his squad after watching them slump to another defeat last night, this time at the hands of Stoke City.
The agent of Napoli’s Amadou Diawara has quashed reports linking the midfielder with a move to Spurs.
Reports in Italy via Corriere dello Sport suggested this weekend that Napoli’s interest in Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira has opened the door for Diawara to leave the club this summer.
Diawara, who moved to Napoli from Bologna in 2016, has mainly appeared as a substitute for the title challengers this season but at just 20 is seen as integral to the future of the club.
The Guinean youngster reportedly has a release clause of just £21m though; something that the Italian press believe Mauricio Pochettino is sniffing around as he seeks a central midfield partner for Mousa Dembele.
The player’s agent has now expressed their discontent at the rumours.
“I don’t know who’s putting out such destabilising rumours at such a delicate moment in Napoli’s season,” Diawara’s agent Daniele Piraino told RAI Sport, as reported by Football Italia.
“Diawara is very happy at Napoli, he has three years on his contract and he’s focused.
Of course, even if Spurs were chasing the 20 year-old it would be best for all parties to keep it out of the news, so it does not mean the move is definitely off.
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Diawara is averaging an incredible 100 passes per 90 minutes this season in the league, at a success rate of 93%, and would certainly be a major coup for Tottenham if they can do some persuading.
Spurs fans, do you think a deal can be done for Diawara? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
In an incredible career, with two spells at Anfield spanning the course of 15 years, Ian Rush still remains Liverpool’s all-time top goalscorer. The Welshman terrified defences for the Reds in the 80s and early 90s, and he went onto score an unrivalled 346 goals in 660 games.
At present, Liverpool are going through somewhat of a crisis. The influential Luis Suarez packed his bags in the summer to head for Barcelona. His replacement Mario Balotelli has yet to score a league goal. Daniel Sturridge has been out for most of the season – and worst of all, last years runners-up currently sit in 11th place in the Barclays Premier League with just 21 points from 16 games.
We caught up with the Liverpool great Ian Rush – speaking on behalf of 888Sport.com, who are putting betting at the heart of football debate by asking punters to have the #LastWord over their mates by backing their banter with a bet – to get his thoughts on the current striker crisis, whether Raheem Sterling should get a run in the side as the main striker, if Brendan Rodgers’ current criticism is warranted and what his thoughts are ahead of the Liverpool v Arsenal showdown at Anfield on Sunday.
Lets make no mistake about it, Liverpool are massively underachieving this season. Despite an excellent 3-1 win and performance in the Capital One Cup over Bournemouth on Wednesday, Liverpool have picked up just seven league points from their last 21 available, and the Reds’ have made their worst start to a league campaign for 50 years.
But there’s only really one place to start – Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan international scored a phenomenal 31 goals in all competitions for the Reds last term, before earning a £75m move to Barcelona in the summer;
Just how much are Liverpool missing Luis Suarez?
Any team would miss Luis Suarez. Him and Daniel Sturridge were fantastic in attack last season, and any team in the world would miss Luis Suarez.
Do you think Mario Balotelli was the right man to replace Luis Suarez?
Well I don’t think Mario Balotelli was a replacement for Luis Suarez. I think Liverpool were just really unfortunate to have Daniel Sturridge injured. I’m now looking forward to when Sturridge, Balotelli and Sterling are all fit. The only time they have all played together – was when we played Tottenham and won 3-0. They all seemed to blend together, so that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing again. You can’t replace Luis Suarez with just one other player – as he’s so good. The first time I saw Sturridge, Sterling and Balotelli together was at Tottenham – which was our best win – and that’s what I’m looking forward too.
How vital is Sturridge going to be when he returns in the second half of the season?
Well you never know. But him and Luis Suarez were fantastic last season – they probably got 80% of our goals. So when Sturridge does come back, it will be like having a new player. It will be like having a January signing, but what we’ve got to do is keep him fit. He will be hungry because he hasn’t played for such a long time – he will be desperate to get back, and I think he will do very well. It’s just a matter of him settling back into what he done last year. So really what were looking at there is Daniel Sturridge being like our new signing in January, and hopefully he will stay fit.
Are you surprised by Liverpool’s plight this season, after going so close last term?
I think we over achieved last season, everything just fell into place for us. We had that little bit of luck, we didn’t have many injuries and we wasn’t in the Champions League. So we’ve had our bit of luck and you have to be realistic. It’s been an indifferent start to the season for us. We’ve had new players in that have taken time to gel together at the start of the season. Obviously we’ve got to stop leaking goals, I wouldn’t concentrate on scoring goals because I think we can do that, we’ve just got to stop letting goals in. Last season, we were letting goals in, but if we let two in we would score three – this season that hasn’t happened. We haven’t had the luck, we haven’t had the rub of the green this time, we’ve had injuries, we’ve also had the Champions League – so little things like that are the difference from last season to this season.
Raheem Sterling was superb against Bournemouth on Wednesday, do you think he should be given a run as the main striker?
Yeah I think he should, against Manchester United he could have had a hat-trick, and he obviously scored the two against Bournemouth. When you look at it before the Manchester United game, we wasn’t creating any clear-cut chances. Although Sterling missed a few, I’m happy that we are creating chances. With Sterling down the middle with Daniel Sturridge, that’s a good option. He’s very quick down the wings, but when it does click down the middle – and he goes past you – he’s clear on the goalkeeper for a scoring chance. I’ve seen players who like it down the middle as well, and he can do that. With him in the middle, I feel we are creating chances now, whereas in the games against Stoke and Sunderland, we didn’t really create the chances that we needed.
As for Brendan Rodgers, do you feel like the pressure on him is warranted at the moment, and do you believe he’s the right man for Liverpool going forward?
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Yeah he’s the right man for the job, he done well last season. We’ve got to stick with him, give him a chance. He’s got a squad there that needs time to gel and that’s what we’re looking to do. He just needs time to come good, and I think we will.
Lastly, what’s your thoughts on the big clash between Liverpool and Arsenal on Sunday?
Well it’s always a good game when we play each other – there’s always goals in it. Last time, we hit Arsenal very early – we were a couple of goals ahead before they realised what hit them. That’s the difference, last season we were starting off early – we scored a lot goals in the first 30 minutes – but this season it’s been a big change. But Arsenal are a quality side, they always did know how to play football, and I think it will be a good test because they always do well. But when they play the top teams they try to keep the ball and fail, but they will be looking to press Liverpool to try and change that – and if they beat Liverpool they will be looking at one step ahead. As for Liverpool, our job is to stay in contention. I think there will be goals in it, and I think if we can get a result against Arsenal, it will put us back on track.
Ian Rush is an 888sport #LastWord ambassador. Join the debate on Twitter @888sport, share your opinion on Facebook.com/888sportfans
and read the best analysis on the betting brand’s dedicated blog. Sign-up now and claim £88 of free bets at888sport.com. Liverpool are 15/8 to beat Arsenal with 888sport.com.
Arsenal are close to agreeing a £4m deal with Schalke for star striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, according to reports from The Metro.
The Dutchman is one of the most sought after front men in Europe following an impressive spell with the Bundesliga club.
His 58 goals in 68 top-flight games have alerted Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who is keen to strengthen his Premier League squad in the January transfer window.
Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and it’s looking unlikely that he will extend his stay in Gelsenkerchin.
This may force the club to sell in January for a minimal fee to avoid losing him for free in the summer months.
At 29, he is unlikely to move on for a large amount, which has led to speculation that a £4m price tag has been placed on his head.
Huntelaar is believed to have impressed Wenger during Arsenal’s meeting with Schalke in the Champions League during October.
The striker netted in the 2-0 victory for the Germans and provided al all-round impressive display.
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A lack of goal scoring prowess has been a problem since the departure of former club captain Robin van Persie during the last transfer window.
Olivier Giroud was drafted in following an impressive spell in the French league, but has failed to transfer his impressive form.
At the start of the season, Leeds United made an early case for promotion contenders under Thomas Christiansen.
As the campaign progressed, the wheels began to fall off and in February, the Yorkshire outfit sacked the manager and replaced him with Paul Heckingbottom.
Since the new leader’s arrival, the Whites have picked up just one victory in eight Championship matches.
The problems began before Heckingbottom took charge, though, and it has now been revealed that Leeds are at the bottom of the form table taking into account the last 14 fixtures.
Leeds’ hopes of challenging for Premier League promotion have all but disappeared as they reside 14th in the standings, 12 points adrift of the playoff places.
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Since Boxing Day, the Yorkshire outfit have suffered eight league defeats and during that spell they have conceded 26 goals.
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On Saturday, the pain continued as the team were beaten 2-1 by Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road.
As expected, fans have been left dismayed by the form table.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has stated that although Balotelli hasn’t performed to his potential, Liverpool have much bigger problems, Express reports.
The two sides will meet in Tuesday’s Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu and while Real are firing on all cylinders after 11 straight victories, the Reds have already lost four out of six away games.
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And many have pinned Mario Balotelli as the scapegoat for Liverpool’s disappointing performances, but Ancelotti claims Brendan Rodgers shouldn’t focus on the Italian’s form as much as the club’s other weaknesses.
“Balotelli is spoken of a lot, maybe too much, he has quality,” said Ancelotti. “He is at a side where they’re not playing well having lost Luis Suarez who scored a lot.
“They need another solution, but I don’t think all of Liverpool’s problems are Balotelli. He needs to do his work for the side. That’s all that can be asked of him.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti has a fine dilemma to solve with the return of Gareth Bale, who could replace Isco on the left side of the Los Blancos midfield.
“Gareth Bale is ready to play and is back from injury, but I don’t know if he will play from the off or be on the bench,” said Ancelotti, whose side have plundered 46 goals in 11 straight victories in all competitions.
“The side is fine and right now the football is intense. The side are fine now, we have things to improve and rotation is important to help prevent problems and injuries.
“The side fills me with confidence because we’re playing well, especially in big games. The players know better than me that all games are an examination and we can improve or take a step back.
“We have been on a good run and that helps us, we have a serious side and I don’t think that we will lose. The team’s professionalism is total.”
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“I know people will boo me but I love that. The more you boo me the more power I get. I don’t want people to love me – I just want them to respect me.” (Daily Record)
El-Hadji Diouf is no stranger to controversy. His attitude, conduct and general demeanour invite a weekly dose of abuse that rains down from the stands. However, is the Leeds United winger the only man who enjoys such unfavourable attention? It appears that a growing number of players are developing an addiction to the hatred that comes their way. Is it fair to suggest they can only produce their best performances to an unrelenting chorus of boos?
Luis Suarez carries the weight of an entire city on his shoulders. The footballing Mecca known as Liverpool is a breeding ground for hope and expectation, desperate to relive the glory days of decades gone by. The current strikeforce is so bereft of options that if he doesn’t find the back of the net, it’s difficult to see the club picking up three points. The heavy feeling of responsibility must be overwhelming.
Liverpool’s new number 7 – a digit with royal connotations – is perhaps the only recent acquisition on Merseyside to have justified his hefty transfer fee. However, he has still attracted more criticism and ridicule than the likes of Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson combined. Putting aside the race row with Patrice Evra, there’s no denying his frequent niggles at defender’s heels coupled with his apparent lack of balance have further damaged his reputation.
However, with the Uruguayan now pigeonholed and seemingly forced down to a path of no return, is it any wonder that he persists with this playing philosophy? When supporters focus all their attention on hurling insults, they neglect supporting their own team, which serves to benefit the victimised player and his team-mates.
The club’s supporters have stood by him, singing his name with the same gusto that was once reserved for fellow adopted striker Fernando Torres. It seems that the more boos he receives, the further he is pushed into the arms of the Liverpool faithful. This love-hate relationship he shares with English football seems to be an effective motivational tool and has propelled him to the top of the goalscoring charts this season.
Another player rapidly accumulating an undesirable reputation is Gareth Bale. The Tottenham winger is seemingly desperate to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo, right down to his egotistical nature and distinctive free-kick technique. Having once been confined at left-back, Bale is now relishing his free role at White Hart Lane and all the attention that comes with it.
Tottenham’s recent victory against Fulham saw Bale pick up a hamstring injury as well as a second consecutive booking for diving. Ashley Young has distanced himself from the ‘serial offender’ tag since attracting criticism last year, but it will be interesting to see if Bale follows suit upon his return. If not, will the Welshman seriously pursue his desire to play abroad, perhaps in Spain, where theatrics are praised rather than persecuted?
Joey Barton is certainly a man who thrives on the negative attention. It’s unsurprising that he has decided to resurrect his career in one of more notoriously ‘intense’ regions of France. Unlike Bale and Suarez though, Barton is no world-beater – despite what he might say – and therefore resembles a pantomime villain. A successor to Robbie Savage.
The tenacity of Barton’s playing style will inevitably stir a negative reaction from opposing supporters, but as we’re all aware from his thought-provoking if slightly preachy website, the man likes the sound of his own voice – even if it is followed by a string of expletives. Barton may have failed to fulfil his potential, but there was certainly a time during his stint with Manchester City and Newcastle, when you would rather have him on your team than line up against him.
As much as it pains me to say it, football needs these characters; they provide an unpredictable element to a game built on raw emotion. Gary Speed once told the aforementioned Diouf that ‘people never boo a bad player’, and while I have definitely booed a few in my time, there is still an element of truth to his words.
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Supporters are unlikely to be unsettled by those who cannot make an impact on the game. When such players hear their name associated with all manner of derogatory terms, it’s like adding fuel to the fire. They thrive on the attention and strive to silence their critics by raising a single finger to their mouth or cupping their ears after putting their name on the scoresheet.