Arsenal are leading the race to sign Dutch star Adam Maher, according to talkSPORT.
The AZ Alkmaar midfielder had been linked with Ajax, but the Amsterdam club have ruled themselves out of the running, opening the door to a Premier League move.
The 19-year-old has been linked with a move away from AZ, after impressing in the Eredivisie this year. The midfielder scored seven goals as he helped the club to finish 10th in the table.
The Gunners were ready to fight Ajax for the Dutch youngster, but the club’s director of football, and former Arsenal player, Marc Overmars, has ruled out a move for Maher.
“I called Adam and his representative Sigi Lens to say that we have made different choices,” Overmars told De Telegraaf.
“Additionally, I have said to AZ that we have no interest.”
This leaves Arsenal as the sole club interested in Maher, who played the full 90 minutes in Holland Under-21s 1-0 defeat to Italy Under-21s in the summer final of the European Under-21 Championship.
Maher has also appeared for the senior side, making a substitutes appearance against Romania in a World Cup Qualifier earlier this year.
The midfielder has come through the AZ academy to become a top player for the Dutch club, and could well be playing in the Premier League next year.
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Should Wenger sign the 19-year-old? Will he do well in the Premier League?
The summer transfer window may be over, but for Championship, League One and League Two teams the chance to improve their squad is not quite over.
The ‘emergency’ loan window is rarely befitting of its name – with league officials waving through most loan moves despite their discretionary basis. However, the system is probably to the benefit of English football as a whole. Premier League managers have a better idea of who will actually play for them now as they have named their 25 man squad for the first half of the season. Football League managers on the other hand have an idea of where they would like to strengthen or add depth to their squad.
The loan window offers clubs beneath the Premier League the chance to strengthen with quality they could simply not buy. It also allows younger players and others struggling to make the first team squad the chance to maintain their fitness in a competitive match environment which simply cannot be replicated by playing reserve or under 21 football at their incumbent club.
With this in mind, here are five Liverpool players who clubs lower down the pyramid are likely to be having a look at during the loan window.
Click on Jon Flanagan to see FIVE Liverpool players who could gain some valuable experience elsewhere
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are looking into the possibility of a loan deal for Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
Despite the Gunners having made an almost perfect start to the season, Arsene Wenger is still keen to bolster his striking options.
Olivier Giroud remains his only orthodox option in the role, with a suspension or injury for the Frenchman likely to expose the threadbare nature of the Londoners’ options in the final third.
Llorente has emerged as one of Wenger’s targets, despite the forward having only signed for Juve over the summer.
The World Cup winning front-man completed a Bosman move to the Serie A champions from Athletic Bilbao just a matter of months ago, but has spent the majority of his time at his new club on the bench.
The form of fellow arrival Carlos Tevez and the presence of a number of talented players have seen the 28-year-old fall out of favour, putting his chances of making Spain’s squad for the 2014 World Cup at risk.
He is thought to be open to a move to secure regular action, and Wenger is hopeful that he can take advantage of the situation with a temporary deal.
An option to make the move permanent could also be a possibility.
Could Fernando Llorente be just the man Arsenal need to stay in the title fight?
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Manchester United manager David Moyes has hit out at referees after last night’s 2-1 Capital One first leg defeat to Sunderland stating they are “having to play the referees”.
“We’re having to play them [referees] as well as the opposition at the moment,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’s really terrible. We’re actually beginning to laugh at them.”
David Moyes was infuriated a penalty was awarded to Sunderland after Adam Johnson was clumsily challenged by Tom Cleverly, with Fabio Borini scoring from the subsequent spot kick in the 64th minute giving Sunderland a 2-1 first leg lead at the Stadium of Light.
The former Everton boss was also unimpressed with the decision to award the home side a first half free-kick after Johnny Evans clashed with Steven Fletcher that resulted in Ryan Gigg’s own goal.
“The decision for the first goal, I don’t see how it was a free-kick – that doesn’t take away our poor defending from the free-kick though,” Moyes stated.
This is Manchester United third straight loss, the first time this has occurred since 2001, after just recently being knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Swansea three nights ago.
The Red Devils are also struggling to challenge in the Premier League, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 11 points.
Moyes was prompted whether he felt he was under any pressure due to poor form, he replied: “None whatsoever. This is a two-legged game and I’m actually really looking forward to this.
“More important is how good the Manchester United supporters were, how well they supported me and how well they supported the club.”
Manchester United will hope there is no repeat of a home loss to Swansea in this Saturday’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
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January is not very exiting for Ipswich fans with Mick McCarthy having limited funds to make any major additions, but can he continue to upset the odds and push into the top six?
The January transfer window will no doubt have harmed the Tractor Boys play-off chances as most of the teams around them have strengthened whilst the Suffolk side have just been looking to retain their current talent.
If Ipswich were to make the play-offs it can be assumed that they would have to nip into 5th or 6th place as the top four teams currently have a strong lead.
To make matters worse, Nottingham Forest who currently sit in 5th place have just signed highly rated left-back Danny Fox from Southampton and Olympiacos striker Rafik Djebbour. You may not have heard of Djebbour before but the Algerian has Champions League experience and has scored 39 goals in 56 league appearances for his former employers.
Many will expect Forest to push on and I can see the top five teams pulling away from the other contenders in a bid to win automatic promotion. That will only leave Ipswich with one play-off place to grab and there will be fierce competition for that place too.
Brighton, Wigan, Reading, Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Leeds are all looking like strong sides that could easily finish in 6th place and without any major additions Ipswich could drop off.
Of course this is no criticism of McCarthy or even Marcus Evans as the club are looking to meet financial fair play guidelines and are doing what is best for the club’s long-term future by not overspending.
There are also some positive aspects to take from January because Ipswich have managed to keep hold of their best players. Additionally, having a smaller closely knit squad will help maintain a great atmosphere in the dressing room and McCarthy will continue to get the most out of the average group of players he has at his disposal.
I believe that the recent addition of right-back Frazer Richardson is a real positive move too. The former Leeds man has taken the captains armband before and the leadership qualities that he possesses will be vital in the later part of the season. Furthermore, Richardson was part of the Southampton team that won back to back promotions from League One to the Premier League, but he has also suffered defeat in four other play-off campaigns.
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These statistics show that Ipswich’s new addition is very much used to being a key part of successful teams and it seems likely that he could do a great job in final part of the season. Obviously Luke Chambers has been playing well but there may well come a time when his form drops, he needs a rest or picks up an injury and it is reassuring to know that you have a solid player like Richardson ready to replace him.
McCarthy will also be fully aware of the challenge that faces him and as long as they keep themselves within touching distance then with a bit of luck they may pull off a surprise. The Ipswich boss tends to pick up a lot of points in the later part of the season when other managers start to feel the pressure kicking in so I certainly would never count the Tractor Boys out.
If Brendan Rodgers was afraid of a meltdown or complacency of any kind by talking up Liverpool’s credential’s in this season’s title race – something he really can’t shy away from at this late stage – the same should be applied to high praise and even over praise of his players.
The Liverpool manager has already singled out Sterling in the past for praise, but went one step further from his declaration that he held the best winger in the country in his squad, to describing Sterling as the best young player in Europe.
On some level, you can understand Rodgers’ thinking. Why not add a few logs onto the fire that has clearly kick started Sterling’s career? The winger is having a very good half season – and half season is important in all this – and naturally needs to be encouraged to continue on this upward trajectory.
But haven’t we been here before? It’s yet another English youngster who is being hyped to the hill after very little work. That’s not to take away from how good and important Sterling has been to Liverpool’s title charge in this second half of the season.
If – and it’s probably when at this stage, rather than if – Liverpool win the league, it will be because Sterling offered an invaluable component of a successful team. His versatility and willingness to learn has also played a significant part in his and the team’s transformation.
The problem is it’s just all too familiar. It’s another Andros Townsend story. And that’s not to compare the two players. The hype surrounding them, justified or not, is similar due to the little backing they each have in their respective claims. For Townsend, it was that he should be in England’s starting XI this summer after doing very little in a Tottenham shirt. For Sterling, it’s that he’s better than those in his age group, who have achieved more, based on four or five months.
But to analyse Rodgers’ comment on Sterling would require a confirmation of what actually constitutes a ‘young’ player. Is it a 19-year-old like Sterling? If we’re going by the Young Player of the Year award nominees, it could be a 24-year-old Daniel Sturridge. If that’s the span we’re working with, then Sterling is far from a credible name at the top of that list.
Both Marco Reus and Toni Kroos are 24, with the latter having accomplished more than most players around Europe.
What if we take a more realistic angle and use 21 years of age as the boundary? Mario Goetze, Thibaut Courtois, Raphael Varane, Julian Draxler, and Paul Pogba would then be included on that list. Suddenly Sterling is starting to look a little out of place.
Each of those players mentioned have been at the top of their age group for a prolonged spell. Paul Pogba, for example, moved to Juventus and became a feature in a side that won the Scudetto. He’s about to do it again, with Juventus on course to retain the league title. The French international has been described as the best young midfielder in the world, and whether you agree or not, he definitely has the backing to support that claim.
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Sterling, while being impressive this season, is still to build up that reputation. He may win the league title next month, but what about next season? It’s the same thought process that should have gone into the praise of Andros Townsend: how long can this form continue? Is he the real deal?
With Sterling, would it be out of hand to say a little more than five months of good form is needed to really judge how good a player he is?
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal found himself at a rather unique situation at Brazil 2014.
The Dutch media had already written off Oranje’s chances of winning the World Cup, or even venturing too far past the group stages, but van Gaal entered the tournament with a point to prove, following news that he would take over at Manchester United ahead of next season.
The 62 year-old already boasts an envious CV, including Bundesliga, La Liga, Eredivisie and Champions League titles throughout spells with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ. But having never plied his trade in the Premier League before, in England at least, there is a shroud of mystery surrounding the now-stepped down Holland gaffer, whose reputation as a managerial maverick tends to precede him.
Well, the Brazil 2014 gave us a fantastic insight into the incoming Carrington boss, and with that in mind, here’s a list of the FIVE things we’ve learnt about Louis van Gaal from Holland’s World Cup campaign.
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Ability to adapt and experiment
Before the World Cup, there were concerns over how Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie would fit into Louis van Gaal’s 4-3-3 formation, a system he’s continually championed throughout spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But Brazil 2014 showed the Manchester United gaffer’s ability to adapt and experiment. Despite favouring the 4-3-3 formation for much of his Netherlands tenure too, before the World Cup he made the surprising switch to 3-5-2, which Oranje went on to stick with for the entire tournament:
It completely gazumped Spain in Holland’s opening fixture – a now famous 5-1 victory – and perhaps most importantly addressed Oranje’s intrinsic weakness of a lack of established quality at centre-back.
Thus, rather than one of Rooney, Mata or RVP getting the boot this summer as rumoured by some…
It’s more likely van Gaal will find a system that accommodates for all three.
GOALS GOALS GOALS
A product of the total football era, it’s no secret that Louis van Gaal favours attacking football. But to what degree truly came of light amid the World Cup, with the Netherlands’ 15 goals only bettered by eventual winners Germany (18).
Some of which included Arjen Robben’s sensational solo run against Spain…
…Robin van Persie’s header, also against Spain…
…and Daley Blind’s stunning take to pour on Brazil’s misery in the third-place Play-off.
Considering Holland also finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with the most goals scored of any European side, a ridiculous 34 goals in ten matches, it’s safe to assume it will be goals galore at Old Trafford next season.
Venturing into the unknown
Have you ever seen a manager bring on a goalkeeper exclusively for a penalty shoot-out before?
Apparently then-Southend boss Paul Sturrock did the old goalie switcheroo during January 2013 in the JPT, but to do it at a World Cup final takes Phil Mitchell levels of bottle.
In the last minute of extra time during their quarter-final tie with Costa Rica, Louis van Gaal switched Holland No.1 Jasper Cillessen – who allegedly, has never saved a penalty in his competitive career – with Newcastle’s Tim Krul.
Whether a rational decision, a moment of madness or simply a psychological ploy, there’s no doubt the substitution had the desired effect:
//www.youtube.com/embed/QTo-8-ZAkUA?rel=0
Equally brave was LVG’s decision to utilise Dirk Kuyt as a wing-back. The former Liverpool star has plied his trade as a striker and a winger previously, but moving him even further back into a five-man defence proved to be an inspired selection choice, as seen below:
Faith in youth
For a club once immortalised by Alan Hansen’s ill-fated quote “you can’t win anything with kids”, Manchester United’s youth policy has lost its way in recent years.
But the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign suggests Louis van Gaal will be more than prepared to address that balance at Old Trafford – as detailed below, his squad included just one player over the age of 30 and eleven aged 25 or under:
That includes centre-back partners Stefan de Vrij and Bruno Martins Indi, both aged 22, who racked up 13 out of a possible 14 World Cup appearances between them, and impact sub Memphis Depay, aged 20, who claimed two goals from the bench, including this strike against Australia:
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If you wish to compare that to other World Cup squads, here’s a graph.
But perhaps most importantly, not only did LVG bring a host of young talent to Brazil 2014, but he also gave them all a chance to impress and gain experience. The only player not to feature for Oranje was unfortunately Swansea City’s Michel Vorm.
He’ll get the best out of Robin van Persie
It’s not as if we didn’t know Robin van Persie and Louis van Gaal enjoyed a you’re-like-the-father-I-never-had relationship before the World Cup, and it’s not as if the Manchester United striker is in particular need of some added motivation, having netted 48 times in 76 appearances for the Red Devils.
But Brazil 2014 produced further evidence that LVG is capable of bringing an even higher level of performance out of the 30 year-old, who netted four times in six World Cup appearances – the most of any Netherlands player – as detailed below:
That includes this mouth-watering strike against Ecuador…
…and this clinical spot kick against Brazil.
The last time RVP was in hot form, he fired Manchester United to their 13th Premier League title. Just sayin’.
The only sides boasting a 100% record after three games will meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon in a game in which one side’s march will be halted. Chelsea were expected to be in the position they find themselves after three decent opening fixtures, but Swansea have shocked the league to an extent with their start – especially the 2-1 season-opening win at Old Trafford.
The Blues have bashed 11 goals while the Swans have only conceded one, stats you may expect to have been reversed give Jose Mourinho’s penchant for tight football and getting the result.
Here at FFC Towers we’ve been crunching the stats and looking at the form, and here are three players from each side we think could make the difference.
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CLICK ON CESC FABREGAS TO REVEAL
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Diego Costa
Mourinho will be the most relieved manager in the country come Saturday, with reports suggesting that hamstring worries will not rob him of Costa. The bustling Spain international has been electric in his opening three games, with his four goals having helped Chelsea to maintain their 100% record.
The ex-Atletico Madrid hit-man will fancy his chances against the Swans after netting over 30 goals last term, and his tendency to pop up in the right areas could once again prove vital for the Blues.
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Nathan Dyer
Three goals in three game sis some record for a winger. Dyer has really been excellent for the Swans so far this term, with his pace and, importantly, end product vital in the three wins registered by Garry Monk’s men.
He may not be afforded the time and space he has been in other fixtures at Stamford Bridge, but the impish wide-man will need to be watched carefully by Mourinho.
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Cesc Fabregas
The joint top assist maker in the Premier League so far, Fabregas certainly has shown that the move back to England should never have raised any doubts. The Spaniard will once again be the deep creative force in Chelsea’s midfield, where he will use Namanja Matic’s excellent holding abilities to take advantage of the space and feed the likes of Costa and Eden Hazard.
There’s little Swansea will be able to do to stop a in-form Fabregas, but Ki Sung-Yueng may be used to attempt to nullify the ex-Barcelona passer master.
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Gylfi Sigurdsson
The only man in the Premier League able to match Fabregas’ four assists so far is Sigurdsson, who has been a revelation since his return to Swansea from Tottenham. The Icelandic playmaker starred for the Swans during a brief loan stint before joining Spurs, where he failed to replicate the sort of form he showed in the south of Wales.
Afforded the central attacking midfield role at the Liberty Stadium, Sigurdsson has once again been doing what he does best, and his ability to find the right ball will be a worry for Chelsea. The only problem could be a lack of pace, which might see him struggle to get the space he needs against Chelsea’s powerful and energetic midfield.
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Branislav Ivanovic
An unorthodox full-back in the modern era, Ivanovic has become one of Chelsea’s major threats over the years, The rugged Eastern European is surprisingly adept on the ball for a man of his size, and his strength makes him a constant threat from set-pieces.
Mourinho will need Ivanovic on form to shackle Dyer and Wayne Routledge, which could be vital in keeping things tight at the back.
Lukasz Fabianski
Arsenal’s old back-up man has proven that first-team football is not beyond him with a fine start to life at Swansea. With an impressive shot-stopping ratio so far, Fabianski will need to maintain his form against Chelsea, whose attacking threats are likely to pepper his goal in west London.
There’s no reason that a clean sheet is not possible, but the Pole will need to be at the very top of his game to ensure that his attackers have the chance to nick a result for the Swans.
I think it is fair to say that Chelsea’s captain John Terry isn’t top of too many managers, fans or fellow footballers Christmas card lists – in fairness, he probably knows that himself.
The former England international’s reputation has been soured after allegations were made involving Wayne Bridge and an ex of his, as well, of course, Terry’s four-game ban for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.
Although most of us will forever see Terry as the player we love to hate – unless you’re a Chelsea fan – JT has shown he isn’t all evil after a fan took to Instagram to reveal the grand gesture Terry had done for him.
We rarely see this side to footballers and the fact the Chelsea defender – in action against NK Maribor tonight – wasn’t singing from the rooftops about this perhaps suggests it goes on a lot more than we give our ‘heroes’ credit for?
My amazing girlfriend spoke to JT on instagram and told him my love for Chelsea. As it was my birthday coming up JT was kind enough to send me his match worn shirt with the squads signatures. It was more than what @bethevansbrown asked for which was just a simple happy birthday message (which he also did). I honestly cannot be thankful enough to someone who is a legend at this club and is a fan of CFC himself. To get this from my favourite player ever was a dream come true and I cannot show how grateful I am to the squad and JT especially for this amazing gift. I will continue to support the mighty chels the rest of my life and things like this make me feel so grateful. Thankyou John! I cannot thank you enough! @johnterry.26 #cfc #chelsea #captainleaderlegendA photo posted by Harry Richards (@harryjohnrichards) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:21am PST
Former Liverpool hero Luis Suarez has revealed in his autobiography that if he slipped like Steven Gerrard against Chelsea – giving the Premier League title away to Man City last season – he would have considered retiring, Daily Star reports.
The Reds were almighty close to winning their first league title in 24 years, but right before the stroke of half-time against Chelsea, Gerrard slipped, allowing Blues striker Demba Ba to score and ultimately win the game.
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It proved to be the killing blow in the Anfield club’s chances of winning the Premier League and Suarez, who was their top scorer with 31 goals before joining Barcelona, said retirement would have been an option if he was in Gerrard’s boots.
He said: “If I had been in Stevie’s shoes, I don’t know if I would have been able to carry on playing.
“Emotionally, it must have been very, very hard.
“In the previous weeks, so much had been said about him, the expectation had built so much, the talk had been about him leading Liverpool, his club, to a first title in over 20 years, on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, in which his cousin had died, and then that happens.
“The captain, the former youth-teamer, the one-club man, a Scouser born and bred, and he was the unlucky one to make a crucial mistake.
“He still hadn’t won the league title. Stevie had started to believe, we all had. And now it had been virtually taken away from him and like that, with him slipping against Chelsea.
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“I’m convinced that if Chelsea had not scored like that, they would not have scored at all. And once you are a goal down against them, it’s virtually impossible.”