Tag Futebol

Liverpool produced a magical performance under the Anfield lights on Sunday as Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Reds defeated Manchester United 7-0.

They were fortunate not to go behind in the early exchanges when Bruno Fernandes missed a gilt-edged header from a few yards out but that appeared to be a turning point in Merseyside.

After that moment, Liverpool were by far the better side with Cody Gakpo truly bursting onto the scene in English football.

The January signing found the net on two occasions while his attacking colleagues in Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez also scored braces.

The scoring was then rounded off by Roberto Firmino, just days after he confirmed his intentions to leave the club behind.

That said, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows at Anfield with one unsavoury moment drawing quite the reaction from Klopp.

Amid the celebrations for Firmino’s goal, a fan raced onto the pitch and slid, slide tackling and injuring Andy Robertson in the process.

The supporter was ejected from the stadium by stewards, with Klopp left furious with the events that played out, screaming at the individual at question.

The moment drew quite a reaction from those on Twitter. The best of the reaction can be found below…

Insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Leeds United fans will hope that breakthrough star Wilfried Gnonto stays at the club rather than making a big move this summer.

What’s the word?

Gnonto arrived at the club for around £3.8m this summer in a deadline-day move from FC Zurich and has been the shining light of an otherwise underwhelming season.

The teenager continued his fine start to life in English football with a stunning performance away at Manchester United in midweek, opening the scoring in the first minute before setting up the second goal in their 2-2 draw, and may start to attract interest from elsewhere.

However, O’Rourke has told Football FanCast that Leeds fans will be desperately hoping he does not leave in the event the club avoid relegation amid potential interest arriving from elsewhere off the back of his fine performances.

O’Rourke said: “He’s definitely got all the tools. He’s already an Italy international as well.

“He’s made a real big impact at Leeds this season. I think for Leeds fans, they’ll be hoping he can stay for as long as possible and that none of the big boys will try and prise him away with a big-money offer in the summer.”

Bargain buy

Gnonto was let go by Inter in 2020, joining Zurich for free, and Leeds brought him to the Premier League for a bargain price with an eye on the future.

The 19-year-old has scored four goals for Leeds this season, and his pace and creativity provide a spark in an otherwise inconsistent team, who recently sacked manager Jesse Marsch.

Indeed, he ranks in the top 9% of wingers for progressive carries and is already a crucial member of the attack as he helps carry the ball forward.

Leeds interim boss Michael Skubala called Gnonto “special”, and if he maintains this level of performance and helps Leeds avoid relegation, he will surely become a hero at Elland Road. Whether that will be enough to see him stay at the club in the long term remains to be seen.

Aston Villa are believed to have ‘enquired’ about the potential signing of Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu, according to a new transfer update.

The Lowdown: Deulofeu flying at Udinese

The 28-year-old arguably hasn’t reached the heights that many predicted earlier in his career, but that’s not to say that he isn’t enjoying an excellent season currently.

Deulofeu has registered six assists in 15 Serie A starts for Udinese in 2022/23 to date, as well as scoring twice and averaging an impressive three key passes per game. In fact, that figure ranks him as the third most creative player in the Italian top flight, in terms of creating shooting opportunities.

Villa have been linked with a move for the Spaniard recently and their interest doesn’t appear to have gone away.

The Latest: Villa enquire about move

According to BirminghamLive, the Villans have ‘enquired’ about the possibility of bringing Deulofeu to the club:

“BirminghamLive understands Villa have enquired about Deulofeu’s availability ahead of making a move for the 28-year-old. Emery worked with the former Everton star while at Sevilla, when he was on loan from Barcelona in 2014/15 and made 17 La Liga appearances that season.

“Deulofeu is in the best form of his career at Udinese and has so far this term chipped in with nine goal contributions in 15 matches, after he netted 13 goals for the Italian club last season. His move to the Serie A came after Watford were relegated from the Premier League in 2020; the year which Villa staved off a swift return to the Championship.”

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The Verdict: Great attacking option

Deulofeu could potentially be a risky signing, considering he has flattered to deceive throughout his career – he was once considered the next big thing at Barcelona – but he is worth taking a punt on, with Will Hughes once claiming he can produce moments of ‘magic’.

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At 28, the £20,000-a-week attacker appears to have matured as a player, delivering consistent end product for Udinese, and he could thrive working alongside Unai Emery.

Deulofeu has also proven himself in the Premier League in the past, appearing 127 times in the competition and enjoying 44 goal contributions (20 goals and 24 assists) in that time.

He could even be considered a direct replacement for Philippe Coutinho if the latter leaves in January, likely coming in on smaller wages and hopefully being a greater influence on Emery’s team.

Glasgow Rangers look set to bolster their squad over the coming days as Michael Beale aims to finalise a number of potential incomings at Ibrox.

According to reports, there could soon be a triple swoop for Morgan Whittaker, Todd Cantwell, and Nicolas Raskin in the final week of the January transfer window.

There might be a few more signings if everything goes to plan, and with the 42-year-old previously claiming that he will give youth prospects plenty of chances to impress, it will come as no shock that he looks to add some more up-and-coming talent to the Ibrox ranks.

With that in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for Belgian youngster Noah Sadiki, who is out of contract with Anderlecht at the end of the season.

Beale could uncover his next Trent Alexander-Arnold by signing the highly-rated 18-year-old this month, with the Belgian showing similar traits to the Liverpool right-back. The Rangers boss coached the England defender during his spell at Liverpool U21s, and Alexander-Arnold has since developed into one of the finest attacking full-backs in Europe.

The 24-year-old has registered 64 assists during his career so far, and this season he has completed 78% of his dribbles, made 1.8 key passes per game and grabbed one assist in the Premier League.

Sadiki can play as a winger or a full-back and certainly embodies the same style of play as the Liverpool star, looking to push forward as often as possible. He has claimed one assist this season, along with completing 67% of his dribble attempts and making 0.3 key passes per game.

These aren’t quite on the same level as Alexander-Arnold’s returns, although Sadiki still has plenty of time to develop. Ibrox could be the best place for him to do just that, especially under the tutelage of Beale, who nurtured Alexander-Arnold prior to his emergence in the Liverpool first-team.

The Anderlecht defender – who has been dubbed “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – certainly looks to be going places, especially considering that Lille and PSV Eindhoven are also monitoring his progress.

James Taverner won’t be able to play forever, and signing prospects who have time to improve and get a taste of first-team action could be the best philosophy as Rangers eye a potential heir to their current captain, with Sadiki being an excellent choice.

Liverpool are expected to be active in the transfer market upon the window reopening today as Cody Gakpo has already agreed to join the Merseyside club this month.

Whilst the PSV Eindhoven ace provides depth in the forward positions whilst Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota remain injured with long-term issues, the focus will surely be on improving the personnel in the centre of the pitch at Anfield.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all set to be out of contract in the summer, whilst Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are in the latter stages of their career and are not likely to be part of the long-term project at the club.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp will be looking at both the current transfer window and the one in the summer too in order to rebuild the midfield depth and improve performances for the Reds.

One player who has been continuously linked with a move to Merseyside over the last month is Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, a player who could be the perfect replacement for Keita should the £120k-per-week Liverpool dud leave in the summer.

Links began to surface when Mount reportedly rejected a new contract to remain at Stamford Bridge ahead of the World Cup and should their star player want to move on in the near future, Anfield could be the perfect new home.

Over 15 Premier League appearances, the 23-year-old – who was hailed “world-class” by journalist Sam Inkersole – has scored three goals, registered two assists and completed 55% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.4 key passes, 1.8 tackles and 4.1 duels won per game.

Mount has drawn a lot of praise since becoming a key player at Chelsea, with former Blue and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole hailing the talented player “outstanding” on BT Sport last season (via The Mirror):

“He does [get credit] from people in the game.”

“I’ve never met one ex-player or one coach who doesn’t appreciate him.”

“He’s a top, top outstanding player, he’s becoming one of the most important players in the country.”

The reliable and consistent midfielder could be the ideal player to replace Keita – who was dubbed “rusty” by writer Graham Ruthven – as the Liverpool dud has struggled to offer any consistency during his time at Anfield with 18 instances of injury and illness hindering his ability to provide availability in the heart of the team.

With that being said, the signing of Mount would be a major coup for Klopp in his pursuit to rebuild the midfield at Anfield and get Liverpool back where they belong at the top of the table.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou won’t be happy with his side conceding four goals against Rennes, according to former Scottish Premiership professional Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Seven-goal thriller

The Hoops have been out in Portugal for their mid-season training camp during the break but recently suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Bruno Genesio’s team.

The Ligue 1 outfit had a 4-1 lead in what was a total defensive meltdown from the Hoops, before the Glasgow giants pulled it back to 4-3 thanks to goals from Matt O’Riley and Kyogo.

The Latest: McManus’ comments

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus, however, claimed that Celtic were exposed at the back and suggested that they have to be careful of the same not happening moving forward.

“If you watch the way Celtic play, there is always a danger of that [conceding multiple goals].

“Rennes are a good side, I think Celtic played them not that long ago in the Europa League actually. These games are all about getting minutes into the players.

“That being said, I don’t think Ange will be happy with that. They were 4-1 down at one point and that was a pretty strong Celtic side.

“They fought back and got it to 4-3 at half time. That’s what a high press will give you, lots of goals. The big issue was when they come up against quality sides who know how to unpick a press, they will concede a lot of chances.

“They are going to get exposed. The only team up here who might be able to do that is possibly Rangers, so it doesn’t happen too often.”

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The Verdict: No need to panic

Celtic obviously won’t want to let in four goals on a consistent basis against anyone, but the fact that Rennes are a better opposition than they normally face, there’s no need to panic.

Postecoglou’s squad are already nine points clear of their rivals at the top of the table and it would take a huge dip in form and results to stop them from securing their second consecutive title come the end of the season.

The Bhoys return to action this weekend when they visit Aberdeen, and the boss will be hoping his side can continue where they left off before the break.

Queens Park Rangers managerial candidate Mark Robins would ‘tick a lot of boxes’ at Loftus Road, according to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Alongside Critchley

The Championship club are now on the hunt to find Michael Beale’s successor after he left the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium for Glasgow Rangers, and there have already been several names circulating over the past 24 hours.

Former Blackpool boss Neil Critchley has emerged as one of the clear favourites to take the job, although a new name in Robins has now entered the fold, and it’s believed that he would be an ideal fit for the R’s.

The Latest: Bailey’s update

Taking to Twitter, Bailey stated that Robins is a candidate that QPR are considering and insisted that he could be a good option for them to have in the dugout.

He wrote: “Interesting to see who QPR turn to – Coventry’s Mark Robins, one on their list…would tick a lot of boxes, has been brilliant at The Ricoh/CBS.”

The Verdict: Perfect candidate

Robins’ contract at Coventry isn’t set to expire until 2024, so QPR would need to be pay a substantial compensation fee to lure him to west London, but he would arguably be the perfect candidate for the role.

The Sky Blues boss has won eight and drawn five out of two points outside the play-offs heading into Christmas.

The R’s suffered a 2-0 defeat to Robins’ team in their last game before the World Cup break, so he will already have an understanding of where improvement is needed at Loftus Road, making him perhaps the ideal man for the job.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Sean Dyche could be a manager ‘target’ for Glasgow Rangers if Giovanni van Bronckhorst leaves Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst under pressure

The Daily Record reported earlier this week that Van Bronckhorst’s future at Ibrox is in ‘serious doubt’ after a poor start to the season which has seen them crash out of the Champions League with no points and an embarrassing -20 goal difference, and lag nine points behind their arch-rivals in the Premiership title race.

The Dutchman could still be spared during the break for the World Cup in Qatar, but names of potential candidates to replace him are starting to emerge, with predecessor Steven Gerrard and his former assistant Michael Beale linked with a return to Rangers.

Scottish football pundit Charlie Nicholas has also backed Dyche to be a serious contender for the role, and the former Burnley boss has hinted that he could take the Ibrox job if he is offered it.

The Latest: Dyche could be a ‘target’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that Dyche could be a ‘target’ for Rangers should Van Bronckhorst leave, adding that the club would be an ‘attractive’ option for the 51-year-old.

The journalist said: “Somebody like Sean Dyche who is out of work could be a potential target for Rangers as well, he’s got links with sporting director Ross Wilson from their time together at Watford.

“He’s out of work and looking for a job, and I’m sure Rangers would be an attractive option for someone like Sean Dyche with what they can offer.”

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The Verdict: Take the chance

The Rangers board may still be hesitant over sacking Van Bronckhorst, given that he took them to the Europa League final last season.

However, some results and performances this term have been too poor to ignore, so the Ibrox hierarchy must take the chance that the World Cup break has given them to relieve the Dutchman of his duties.

Should Van Bronckhorst leave, Dyche would be an ideal replacement, having shown his credentials in English football by keeping Burnley in the Premier League for five straight seasons, including a remarkable seventh-placed finish in 2017/18 (Transfermarkt).

Former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan has claimed that Dyche would be a ‘stunning’ appointment for Rangers given his pedigree, and it would be hard to look past the 51-year-old.

Sunderland have had a number of success stories to come out from the Academy of Light over the years, and one is currently brewing in the first-team squad this season.

Daniel Neil burst into the side last term and established himself as a regular in League One.

That has carried over to the Championship, as he has started 14 of the club’s 16 matches in the current league campaign.

The 20-year-old is a promising young player who could write his name into Sunderland folklore if he continues to go from strength to strength in the coming years, following in the footsteps of the likes of Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson.

England are set to jet off to Qatar for the World Cup next month and the aforementioned duo could both be in Gareth Southgate’s squad, as they play for Everton and Liverpool respectively in the Premier League.

Sunderland-born Henderson is a huge success story of the Black Cats’ academy, as he came up through the ranks and is now an England international, captain of one of the biggest clubs in the country, and a Champions League and Premier League winner.

He did not cost his hometown club a penny as he came straight in without playing for another team, instead working his way up through the youth ranks on Wearside.

Transfermarkt valued him at £45k when he made his first loan move away from Sunderland to join Coventry in January 2009, which was his first-ever valuation from the site.

The young gem made 10 appearances in the Championship before coming back to the Black Cats and fighting for his place in their side in the 2009/10 campaign.

Steve Bruce arrived as the club’s new manager ahead of that season and took an instant liking to Henderson. The English coach handed the talent 33 appearances in the top flight and was rewarded with one goal and five assists.

The midfielder then caught the eye with three goals and four assists in 37 Premier League matches in the 2010/11 season, and this attracted attention from elsewhere.

In the summer of 2011, Liverpool swooped to sign the then 20-year-old midfielder for a fee in the region of £16m. He put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Reds and is still at Anfield today.

At the time of the move, Transfermarkt valued him at £7.65m. This means that his value soared a whopping 16,900% between his breakthrough into the first team in 2009 and the moment that he left the club in 2011.

Sunderland struck gold by unearthing the “monster”, as Henderson was once described by Curtis Woodhouse, and Kristjaan Speakman will be hoping that he can unearth a few gems of his own in the years to come.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will give Jota ‘as much time as possible’ on the sidelines to recover from his injury, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Jota’s muscle injury

The forward was substituted at the break during the 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory over St Johnstone last weekend, before being left out of the Champions League matchday squad to take on RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

Sky Sports later revealed that the 23-year-old had sustained a muscle injury which was the cause of him missing the European fixture, despite the boss originally claiming that he was simply being rested.

He joins Callum McGregor in the treatment room, leaving Postecoglou without two of his most trusted assets.

The Latest: Hutton’s replacement claim

Asked by Football Insider who could replace Jota in the starting XI, Hutton said they have the depth to wait on a perfect recovery:

“I think you look at Kyogo, he could play out there.

“I think they have got options. [Daizen] Maeda, [Liel] Abada, [James] Forrest is coming back so you can move things about.

“Of course you want Jota to play. He is their star forward, he gives you that x-factor, he offers something different.

“I am sure Ange will give him as much time as possible to come through. I think they have got strength and depth in those wide areas.“

The Verdict: Blow for Postecoglou

If Jota is out for a considerable amount of time, this will come as a huge blow to Postecoglou, who will know just how much of an influential player he is.

The Portuguese has made an outstanding 37 goal contributions in 52 appearances since arriving in Glasgow, with ten of those coming in just 12 outings across all competitions since the start of this season (Transfermarkt).

The Hoops manager certainly has some depth at his disposal but will be desperate to have Jota back sooner rather than later as he looks to guide his side to a second consecutive league title.