According to reports in The Independent, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho’s first-choice midfield target this summer is Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, rated at £72m by Transfermarkt.
What’s the word, then?
Soccer Football – La Liga Santander – Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – February 10, 2018 Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Well, Mourinho is seeking to strengthen the Red Devils midfield this summer with Paul Pogba struggling when asked to play alongside Nemanja Matic in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Michael Carrick retiring at the end of the season and with continued doubts over the futures of Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.
The Independent says that the player he wants to bring in to strengthen in the middle of the park is Kroos, with the club already having a long-standing interest in the Germany international having tried to sign him before he joined Real Madrid in 2014.
The report adds that while he is seen as a key player at the Bernabeu, word has got around that the Champions League holders could make some high-profile sales in the summer, and the 28-year-old could be one of those to go if they receive a respectable offer.
How has Kroos done this season?
He has been one of Real’s standout players in what has been a largely disappointing campaign – especially in La Liga.
The 28-year-old has scored four goals and provided a further seven assists in 29 appearances in all competitions, and he continues to be a key player for the Spanish giants either from a central or defensive midfield role.
According to WhoScored.com, the Germany international has a passing accuracy of 92.9% across 25 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League this season, while he has made 62 key passes and successfully completed 18 of the 25 dribbles he has attempted.
Would he be a good signing for United?
He certainly would be.
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The 28-year-old would be the ideal missing piece of the puzzle if Mourinho wanted to play a three-man midfield of him, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, and there is arguably no better player in the world in his position than Kroos.
Considering he will still have four years left on his contract this summer, it would likely take a huge offer to convince Real to sell, and that could be United’s big problem in bringing him to Old Trafford.
After what must have felt like years for Liverpool fans, Adam Lallana has finally arrived at Anfield in a £25million deal after an extremely impressive season with Southampton last year.
Lallana is the Reds’ second summer signing, following former team-mate Rickie Lambert to Merseyside in what must be an exciting season ahead for Liverpool.
But while fans rejoice at a major coup, how much more can Lallana offer the Liverpool team? Is he the man that can make the Anfield faithful forget about the departing Luis Suarez?
Here are FIVE REASONS to get excited about new Liverpool signing Adam Lallana.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON LALLANA TO SEE THE FULL LIST!
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5. Lallana’s rise from League One
It wasn’t too long ago that the now England international was playing in the third tier of English football… only four years.
In his last season in League One, Lallana scored 11 goals to promote Southampton into the Championship, which also saw him bag the League One Player of the Year.
He continued his promotion displays as Southampton took the Championship by storm and received a second consecutive promotion to finally end up back in the Premier League. Lallana was again essential, earning the club Player of the Year and named in the Championship XI.
But while many fall short when reaching the English top flight, Lallana developed during his first Premier League season and in his latest campaign was impressive enough to earn himself a seat on the England plane as well as in the Premier League XI.
Now in the Champions League? It won’t be surprising if he can up his game to challenge the European Elite.
4. Lallana gives Liverpool much needed squad depth
Although defence was one of Liverpool’s shortcomings in the title race last season, it was also the squad’s lack of depth which saw them unable to cope with crunch fixtures when compared to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea. And with the Reds now also competing in the Champions League, Lallana’s versatility is a huge bonus.
The attacking midfielder can pretty much play anywhere in midfield, operating regularly at either the flanks or as the central playmaker. He is capable of being pushed forward as a winger, and has even on occasion played almost as a defensive midfielder.
But while many suffer playing out of position, Lallana has looked comfortable wherever utilized and is a coach’s dream. His versatility therefore makes a good chunk of his expensive £25million price tag.
3. Lallana contributes defensively
Although his ‘Fantasy Football’ stats would suggest otherwise, Adam Lallana is one of the most hardworking players in the Premier League at his position. The Englishman doesn’t lose the ball often, but when he does Lallana tracks back without sulking at being dispossessed.
Last season Liverpool fans have hailed Jordan Henderson as a player with endless energy, giving it all in every game in which the he covered an impressive total of 359 km.
Adam Lallana, known for his silky dribbling and intricate passing, covered 357 km. Not only are Liverpool purchasing a strong attacking player, but one that also helps defensively.
2. The England and Rickie Lambert Connection
Lallana’s call up to the England set up this summer will play a massive part in his performance for the Reds next season. His inclusion was the perfect chance to get a head start in knowing his team-mates, as most of the Three Lions happen to be Liverpool players.
Captain Steven Gerrard, striker Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, and even Glen Johnson will now have met and trained with Lallana, giving the 26-year-old a slight head start when linking up with his new team-mates.
But more importantly he has Rickie Lambert at Anfield, who he has been playing with at Southampton since 2009. With Suarez now on a long four-month ban, it would mean Lambert could easily start and their understanding which has served so well for the Saints could bear fruit this time for the Reds.
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1. Lallana scores goals
//www.youtube.com/embed/u9ZnydLLpkk
Nothing is more important than goals in football. Strikers get paid millions to put the ball into the back of the net but when you have a midfielder that contributes as well, then you have an elite squad capable of challenging the very best.
If his midfield attributes of chance creation (68 total last season, 1 more than Gerrard) and defensive contribution isn’t already enough to value his price tag, then his nine goals in the Premier League for Southampton is. Tap-ins, long-shots, headers… Lallana is capable of scoring all kinds.
And don’t let the three goals in his first Premier League season fool you, Lallana has been banging them in for quite some time.
During the 2009-2010 season in League 1, Lallana scored 20 goals to become the first Southampton player to do so since the great Matt le Tissier. And from that point on he hasn’t stop developing into a world-class midfielder.
Expect him to score some goals next season, and then his £25million price-tag would feel like peanuts.
West Brom manager Steve Clarke has insisted that his side will return to form against Southampton, report The Metro.
The Baggies have enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, picking up 14 points from their opening seven games beating the likes of Liverpool and Everton along the way.
However, the Midlanders have slipped to defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle of late, leading some to believe their bubble may have burst.
But, Clarke believes his team will find their form as they host Southamption on Monday:
“It’s going to be something different for us. We are suddenly in a situation we haven’t found ourselves in before, having lost a couple of games,” He said.
“People maybe are looking at us a little bit so there is a question to be answered.
“But the lads have played well, that’s the message we have tried to give the players to take forward into the next game.
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“We have told them that if they continue to play as they have against two really good teams, and as long as the performance level stays the same, then the results will follow.”
Clarke took charge of the club last summer, switching from his role as assistant manager at Liverpool.
Aston Villa come into the new season off the back of losing the Championship play-off final to Fulham.
It has been a turbulent time for Villa since they missed out on promotion to the promised land. Off-field difficulties have been compounded with issues in the squad, with it looking highly likely talisman Jack Grealish will be leaving the club this summer.
Nevertheless, Villa fans will be hopeful their club can bounce back and maybe even replicate last season’s achievements of a play-off place, if they do the right business in the transfer market this summer and get the 2018/19 campaign off to a strong start.
They will have a much better understanding of how likely the latter scenario is following the official announcement of the fixtures for the coming Championship season on Friday morning. Villa’s first six encounters have been confirmed as below…
August 6th – Hull City (A)
August 11th – Wigan (H)
August 18th – Ipswich (A)
August 21st – Brentford (H)
August 25th – Reading (H)
September 1st – Sheffield United (A)
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[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257600″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Aston Villa’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]
Verdict
While it remains to be seen what shape this Aston Villa squad will be in by the time the summer transfer window slams shut, it’s a relatively easy start for the Midlands club. Hull and Reading just about avoided relegation last season, Sheffield United, Ipswich and Brentford all finished midtable and Wigan – albeit something of an unknown quantity – gained promotion from League One. Quite tellingly then, none of Villa’s first six games involve teams that made it to the 2017/18 playoffs.
That should see Villa start the season well – provided they can maintain a strong squad during the course of the summer.
Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina impressed before illness forced him off in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the 24-year-old.
The Gabon international has struggled with injury since joining the south coast outfit from Juventus during the summer transfer window, but he showed the ability he does have throughout the first-half against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
However, he was forced off 12 minutes into the second period because he was ill, but United supporters saw enough of the African midfielder to know that he would be a good signing for them in the future, especially with Michael Carrick retiring and doubts over the futures of Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.
They took to social media to give their thoughts on Lemina, and while one said he’s “better than what we have”, another said “I’d 100% have him”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Having overcome Olympiakos in dramatic circumstances at Old Trafford, David Moyes’ Manchester United were rewarded (or should it read punished?) with a quarter final against Pep Guardiola’s seemingly invincible Bayern Munich.
Twenty five victories in twenty seven Bundesliga fixtures so far, Bayern have gone fifty two league matches without defeat. The Germans were crowned domestic champions once again on Wednesday with a record seven matches to spare.
With the Club World Championship and Super Cup also secured, Guardiola’s side are on course for an incredible haul of five trophies this season.
With such an imperious record and reputation, it may seem curious to suggest that Moyes and United were dealt anything other than the worst possible draw. Guardiola’s Munich are looking ominously capable of becoming the first side to retain the Champions League trophy.
However, United wouldn’t be considered the favourites in match-ups with any of the other quarter finalists. Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid would have relished a draw against the faded Red Devils.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have impressed so far and convincingly eliminated AC Milan in the previous round. Paris Saint-Germain may be relative newcomers to this stage of the competition but led by enigmatic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, their expensively assembled squad would still likely prove too much for United to handle.
Bearing all this in mind, Moyes and United may have actually got the best possible draw in facing the much-fancied Germans.
With Moyes enduring an aerial protest when his side hosts Aston Villa, the draw against Bayern is the best possible scenario for a manager that has likely taken his side as far as he possibly can in the competition this season. Rather than adding to the significant pressure already on the “Chosen One”, the match-up against Munich is almost accepted by most to be a step too far for this current United side.
The expectation to progress has deflated massively amongst the club’s supporters who realistically acknowledge the scale of the task. Recent home humiliations to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City emphasises just how much work is required to return United to the summit of English football.
Remarkably, for the manager of a club like Manchester United, Moyes can effectively have a free swing in his match-up with Guardiola’s Bayern. Even the most ardent set of United fans are expecting nothing more than elimination against the imperious Germans.
Obviously a pair of competitive performances is the minimum requirement but nearly everyone in football recognises the gulf that currently exists between the two sides.
With United’s domestic form showing no immediate signs of improvement, success in Europe, no matter how unlikely, was viewed as the only way a disastrous campaign could at least be partially salvaged. Likely buoyed by the dramatic events of their second leg triumph against the Greeks, Moyes talked up his side’s chances of lifting the trophy in May. In a post-match press conference, the Scot stated “I suppose we’ll be the underdogs in the draw, but I genuinely believe this club of is capable of doing it.”
Since the draw, Moyes has spoken confidently about the tie. The Scot said: “I’ve got a few things that I’ve seen that I would try to work on and capitalise on.”
Comments such as these will likely be subjected to much derision by football fans, but it epitomises the correct approach. Arsenal’s resistance in the Allianz Arena and Manchester City’s victory, albeit in a dead rubber fixture, suggests there could be weaknesses behind the aura of invincibility.
Nevertheless, it is a tie that very few expect the Red Devils to emerge triumphant from.
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At the end of the day, United were almost certainly going to have to overcome Bayern if they were going to secure an unlikely triumph in Europe. By drawing the German giants at the quarter final stage, the weight of expectation has dissipated and Moyes’ side can approach these fixtures with the mindset of genuine underdogs.
Almost any other match-up would have added even further to the mounting pressure.
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Ajax’s victory over Manchester City in the Champions League proved to everybody that the iconic Dutch side still have what it takes to compete at the very top level.
True, the Sky Blues have been out of sorts this season, but for a team put together on only a fraction of the budget used by their English opposition it was a remarkable feat.
Nowadays Ajax find it hard to keep hold of their star names, with the financial rewards in many of Europe’s top leagues tempting players to depart Amsterdam. As a result they have carved out a niche as a stepping stone club.
However, if they could have kept hold of their big-hitters they would be a truly fearsome force, able to compete with the biggest and the best teams on the planet.
This XI incorporates the best ex-Ajax players who are still playing professionally, making for a balanced and exciting team-sheet.
Click on Maarten Stekelenburg to unveil the XI
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Everton scored twice in stoppage time help Everton to a dramatic victory over Tottenham at Goodison Park to snatch fourth place in the Premier League.
The Toffees had stuttered of late, drawing three games on the trot after losing at Reading last month, but returned to winning ways on home turf to keep their Champions League dreams alive.
David Moyes was tipped as the favourite to take over at Spurs in the summer before Andre Villas-Boas stepped in and the Portuguese coach will be left cursing his luck after his side threw away their slender lead so late in the game.
Leon Osman saw a shot blocked early on as the hosts started with a vim and vigour missing from their recent performances and only some last ditch defending and excellent goalkeeping from Hugo Lloris stopped them from taking the lead.
The French shot stopper did well to thwart Nikicia Jelavic in the penalty area before Seamus Coleman flashed an effort wide as the first half somehow ended without either defence being breached.
Steven Naismith came on at the break for Everton and almost broke the deadlock straight away, side footing wide after Leighton Baines’ free kick rebounded off the wall.
Their profligacy in front of goal was eventually punished 15 minutes from time when Clint Dempsey’s long range strike clipped off Sylvain Distin and beat Tim Howard.
Substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson then went close to sealing all three points for the visitors only to see his fierce strike come back off the crossbar and from that the home side dug deep to force the equaliser their performance deserved.
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It was Steven Pienaar, a former Spurs player, who did the damage thundering a header past Lloris in the 90th minute from Seamus Coleman’s cross.
And just over a minute late the turnaround was complete as Jelavic swept home the winner after Apostolos Vellios’ overhead kick fell into his path eight yards out to bring Moyes roaring out of the dugout in celebration.
Celtic’s good form in 2018 continued on Saturday as they saw off the threat of Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership, winning 1-0 at Celtic Park.
It was always going to be a tough 90 minutes for the Scottish champions, Hibs have performed well against them all season, but a Leigh Griffiths strike was enough to secure all three points and maintain their lead at the top of the table.
While a positive day, fans were left disappointed by injuries to some key first team players like Leigh Griffiths and Craig Gordon, who were both forced off early in the match.
Griffiths has struggled with a number of calf injuries already this season and today was his first start since Boxing Day, with Brendan Rodgers opting to utilise Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele in other matches.
He was visibily upset at realising he would again face treatment, especially when given a big chance to impress, and he’ll be hoping the injury isn’t serious.
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Supporters took to Twitter to discuss the injury and what it means for the team…
Newcastle’s entire season can be best be summed up in this 8 second video:
[youtube FfnhmuZ27eQ]
The clip is of John Cleese in Clockwise; a film in which Cleese’s character Brian Stimpson finds things consistently going wrong for him despite his best efforts. Stimpson is helpless to change his fortunes. He is little more than a spectator in his own life as the world transpires against him.
“It’s not the despair Laura; I can stand the despair . . . It’s the Hope!”
Struggle we can deal with. We know how to struggle. Struggle is constant. You’ve just got to accept your struggle and keep at it.
But hope, hope hurts. Hope allows you to believe that things may get better. We invest in hope. It consumes us. And when our hope is invariable dashed the fall is much the greater. The low is always lower than the high that hope allowed us.
And there has been a lot of reason to hope at St. James’ Park recently.
First there was Andy Carroll. And then there was Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye. There was the rise of Tim Krul and Fabricio Coloccini, and the fall of Joey Barton. There was the 2011/12 Manager of the Season and the 2011/12 Goal of the Season. There was the 11-game unbeaten run only ended away by Manchester City.
There was even European football.
But then came the fall. And the fall was tough.
Struggling to fight the good fight on four fronts lead to a season of strife. But there was an acceptance that the 2012/13 season was never going to be as easy as the previous, and everyone knew deep down that the team wasn’t as bad as the table suggested.
It was a struggle, but a struggle with pride. Struggle is something they can do at Newcastle. They’re used to struggle.
But the worst was yet to come.
Worse than selling your local lad to Liverpool. Worse than fighting against relegation when it was supposed to be ‘your season’. Worse than losing 3-0 at home to Sunderland.
There was mediocrity.
The mid-table of the Premier League can be a tragic place. Some are happy to be here, but this happiness is only fleeting. The inevitable demands for European football come a calling. And with European football, the fall back to mid-table mediocrity.
At the top you can win. At the bottom you can survive. But in the middle; in the middle you can only be forgotten.
Nothing happens in the middle. The middle is made up of nowhere men.
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This may sound alright to some. It may even sound appealing. None of this messing around with highs and lows, give me a safe slice of the middle.
But anyone who’s spent anytime here will know different.
We watch football for the excitement. We watch football for the fun.
But there’s nothing fun about knowing that if any of your team’s players actually turn out to be good, they will inevitably be sold. There’s nothing fun about winning seven out of 10 games between November and December, hoping that this time might be different, only to see your team then give up. There’s nothing fun about having nothing to gain, nothing to lose, about knowing your season is essentially pointless.
It would have been easier without the hope. Despair may seem like the worst possible outcome, but those familiar both know that it’s the hope that really hurts.