Liverpool are looking to win their first Premier League title this season and are in a fine position to do so under Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds sit top of the pile after a blistering campaign and they will be gutted to throw away the title now with Man City hot on their heels so to speak.
However, the January window passed them by without anything to shout home about, and we here in the Tavern feel that some more players might be needed in order for Liverpool to sustain any success they have, especially in the central midfield areas.
And one man we feel fits this mould is Brazilian midfielder Walace, who has been plying his trade over in Europe with Hannover following a move in the summer from Hamburg.
However, the Premier League can be an enticing place to play your football, and Liverpool remain a global force who Walace will be well aware of.
A natural ball winner and someone with a fantastic engine in the middle of the park, the Brazilian would be ideally suited to Liverpool given how he would compliment the attacking players that the Reds currently boast.
Some of the central midfielders at Anfield are beginning to slow down a bit, and signing the 23-year-old would be a big boost for sure. Put him alongside fellow Brazilian Fabinho in the middle of the park, then Liverpool might just have the foundation to build on for years to come.
LIverpool fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
Everton’s struggles are no secret and have been well documented in recent months. After a bright start to the campaign under Marco Silva, the Toffees have just five wins from their last 15 Premier League games.
There are also some issues emerging in terms of first-team personnel, with first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman performing well out-of-sorts this season, whilst Bernard and Theo Walcott have failed to inspire out on the wings.
Examining the main problem areas
Clearly, the only issues in the team are found in the wide areas. Coleman has been dropped on numerous occasions this season for the less-experienced Jonjoe Kenny, as a result of his below-par performances that have had fans suggesting that he is beginning to decline.
In the wide attacking areas, Theo Walcott has been distinctly average this season, and it could be argued that he has already exited his prime years as a footballer – the 29-year-old has just three goals and two assists in 28 league appearances this season.
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On the opposite flank, Bernard has impressed in spells and is always a tricky customer to deal with, but his end product is fairly poor and he could easily be considered expendable in this Everton team – the Brazilian has a mere three assists to show for his efforts in the league.
What can Silva do about it?
Well, the Toffees are fairly strong through the core, and have a number of players who perform well through the middle of the field, so a 3-5-2 formation could suit the players quite well.
Everton are well stocked in the centre-back department, with Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina all competing for the two centre-half positions, so playing all of them together would keep them happy and allow Lucas Digne – who enjoys getting forward – less defensive responsibility out in a left wing-back role.
Idrissa Gueye and Andre Gomes can be part of a two-man defensive midfield, with Gylfi Sigurdsson sat ahead of them in an attacking midfield role – Dominic Calvert-Lewin can be deployed on the right of midfield where his pace would stretch defences and allow the Icelandic international more space.
Up top, Richarlison should be partnered with Ademola Lookman, who hasn’t seen near enough game time this season – he has been afforded just six starts in all competitions.
If Everton utilise the personnel in their squad correctly for the last nine games, they could have an enjoyable end to the season.
West Brom supporters were angry over the sacking of Darren Moore last weekend, but they seem to hold even more irritation about his number two, Graeme Jones.
This comes after news emerged of the latter supposedly having an agreement in place to join Luton this summer, according to the Express & Star.
Baggies fans are frustrated with the club’s situation at the moment and after Moore’s sacking are channelling their anger towards Jones, who was previously assistant manager of Belgium, claiming he had too much power and influence in the dressing room.
Despite Moore being the man in charge, some supporters believe that his 48-year-old former assistant should have taken the fall rather than their previously adored manager. Jones also fell out with the board in his time in the Midlands too.
Albion have been targeting instant promotion back to the Premier League but their chances of achieving an automatic route back into the top flight have taken a hit following three games without a win in the Championship.
They sit fourth in the league and still have a fantastic opportunity of going up through the play-offs. Luton, on the other hand, are top of League One but Baggies supporters have been warning fans of Jones’ potential new club that they may be better off without him.
Juventus have identified Jurgen Klopp as a potential managerial appointment if Max Allegri leaves the club in the summer, per Tuttosport via Football Italia.
The Liverpool boss is currently in the midst of a title race, with the Reds level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City at the top of the table, though they have a game in hand on the champions.
What’s the word?
Tuttosport claim that Allegri’s job could be in doubt if Juventus lose to Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.
This despite the fact that Juve, spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo, are currently 11 points clear at the top of Serie A and are yet to lose a domestic game.
The report claims that former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and France manager Didier Deschamps – who has managed Juve before and also played for the club – are also candidates to take the role if Allegri is axed.
Klopp, however, is also name-checked as a potential appointment despite a “solid relationship” between the manager and the Reds.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager has been at Anfield since 2015 but he has yet to win a trophy – the hope, of course, on Merseyside, is that he is victorious in the Premier League title race this season.
Ambitious target
Extricating Klopp from Liverpool may well prove mission impossible for Juve.
Of course, he may not have won anything yet, but Klopp has helped turn Liverpool into genuine contenders once again, even guiding the club to the Champions League final last season. That game, it can be argued, was only lost due to two goalkeeping howlers from Loris Karius.
The German has been backed to the hilt by the Reds’ board and they are well-placed to win the Premier League title this season.
Juventus, then, would have to put together a mighty package to tempt Klopp away.
After all, he is fingertips away from achieving his aims with Liverpool and Klopp is not the sort of manager to leave a job half-finished.
The Premier League has witnessed so many world class goalscorers in its time. This season there will be several superstars vying for the 2019/20 Golden Boot, as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero battle it out for the crown.
But who is the most clinical goalscorer ever in the Premier League, in terms of minute per goal?
The leaderboard of most clinical scorers in the history of England’s top-flight is comprised of players whose knack for not only finding the back of the net, but doing so frequently, made them international superstars.
Yet for all the superstars on the list, you might be surprised to find out where some of the game’s most prolific scorers, such as all-time leading goal scorer Alan Shearer with his 260 career goals, ultimately find themselves.
Here’s how the top-25 most clinical goal scorers in Premier League history stack up, correct as of the last round of fixtures on August 31, 2019…
25. Anthony Yeboah – 162 minutes per goal
Leeds fans will certianly remember the name Yeboah, and he just squeezes in the top 25 of the most prolific goalscorers in the Premier League.
The former Ghana striker averaged a goal every 162 minutes of league action, scoring 24 goals in 47 appearances.
24. Branko Strupar, 161 minutes per goal
Strupar may be a vacant figure in your memory of the most prolific strikers the Premier League has witnessed, but with a goal every 161 minutes, he ranks in the top 25.
The former Derby County striker scored 15 goals in 36 Premier League appearances and is deserved of his place in the rankings.
23. Divock Origi, 161 minutes per goal
The Belgium forward may not start under Jurgen Klopp, but he still remains one of the most clinical strikers in the top-tier of English football.
Origi has made 65 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, scoring 16 goals in the process.
22. Loic Remy, 160 minutes per goal
Remy played for four different Premier League clubs but that did not stop his goalscoring antics, netting everywhere he went.
The France striker scored 28 goals in the top-tier of English football, netting every 160 minutes.
21. Demba Ba, 160 minutes per goal
The Senegalese striker picked up his 43 Premier League goals for West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea in just five seasons spent in England, finding the back of the net once every 160 minutes.
20. Ian Wright, 157 minutes per goal
While a vast majority of Ian Wright’s 113 Premier League goals came for Arsenal, the former England international closed out his career in 1998-99 with nine goals in 22 appearances with West Ham United.
Arsenal’s second-leading Premier League scorer of all time finished his career with 157 minutes per goal.
19. Michael Owen, 153 minutes per goal
The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner tallied 150 career goals in the Premier League in 15 seasons playing for Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City.
When his storied career came to an end, Owen had scored once every 153 minutes.
18. Ole Gunnar Solskjær, 151 minutes per goal
Manchester United’s current interim manager was himself an accomplished scorer during his playing days and had amassed 92 Premier League goals when his career came to a close following the 2006-07 season.
The Norwegian striker scored once every 151 minutes over his 234 top-flight appearances for the Red Devils.
17. Ivan Klasnic – 150 minutes per goal
Remember Klasnic? He may not be notoriously known as one of the best strikers in Premier League record, but his strike rate speaks for itself.
The former Bolton Wanderers forward scored 20 goals for the club, netting every 150 minutes of league action.
16. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 149 minutes per goal
Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Man United
Zlatan certainly comes with his controversy, but there is no denying his goalscoring nature.
The former Sweden international made his mark at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.
Leeds United thumped West Brom 4-0 at Elland Road on Friday night. The result ensured that the Whites maintained their place in the thick of the Championship title race.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were highly deserving of their triumph, as they outclassed the Baggies from the first minute to the last.
The home side took the lead inside 20 seconds when Pablo Hernandez found the top corner from distance. Two goals for Patrick Bamford and a late Ezgjan Alioski finish sealed the emphatic result.
Not only were Leeds scintillating going forward, they were also solid at the back. West Brom hardly mustered a chance as the centre-back pairing of Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson kept Darren Moore’s men at bay. Jansson was particularly impressive as he worked relentlessly hard to win the ball high up the pitch and launch attacks.
The 6’4” 28-year-old was imperious at the back and fans certainly appreciated his efforts. After the match, plenty of Leeds supporters took to Twitter to praise the 20-cap Sweden international’s display…
Manchester United’s season has really been a tail of two managers this term, with Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having hugely different spells with the club.
The appointment of Norwegian Solskjaer has proved to be a masterstroke by t.he Red Devils, and his energy, enthusiasm, and ability to get the best out of his players leaves a lot to be admired.
And one key thing we here in the Tavern feel that the former United striker has managed to do is get the best out of influential midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been nothing short of superb since being moved further up the field following Mourinho’s sacking.
There has never really been a question of if Pogba has the ability to dominate games, it’s just he has never shown it for United until now.
His displays in recent weeks have been mature in nature, while he is also affecting the game where it matters in terms of notching goals and assists.
We have seen his form for France prove how good he can be, and he is finally showing that sort of ability in the Red of United, meaning trophies can’t be too far away for the Red Devils if he can continue to dominate in the middle of the field.
Of course, United do need some more quality added to the squad this summer if they are serious about competing, but with Pogba playing as he is and growing in confidence week by week, there’s every chance that the glory days could be on their way back to Old Trafford sooner, rather than later.
Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to Tuesday night’s setback at Loftus Road, and they’re absolutely furious with the performance of Jack Harrison.
It was the same old story for Marcelo Bielsa’s side on Tuesday night, as they dominated possession but failed to create enough clear-cut chances to win the match.
Patrick Bamford looked a step off the pace in every department, Tyler Roberts was hugely disappointing and Izzy Brown touched the ball just once in his ten-minute cameo.
Perhaps worst of all though was Harrison, who completed just 62 per cent of his passes in the 1-0 defeat, the lowest such number of any Leeds player on the evening.
The 22 year-old has scored three times and added one assist since joining on loan from Manchester City last summer, and his lack of end product is surely now a huge concern for Bielsa.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans want the youngster axed from the starting XI for Friday’s clash against West Brom…
Rafael Benitez was finally able to get his man at the end of the January transfer window after Newcastle United signed Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United.
According to the player’s agent, however, things could have so easily gone down a different way with other parties having also been interested in the Paraguayan playmaker.
The Breakdown
“Manchester United was interested in Miguel Almiron,” Daniel Campo, the agent of Almiron, recently told ParaguayTVHD (via Chronicle Live) before going on to explain what kind of player Newcastle have signed. “He does not like to go out, he is a boy who likes to be at home, Miguel is a boy who has an impeccable conduct.”
Newcastle’s signing of Almiron was already a good one with Benitez’s squad severely lacking quality attacking options but now, after Campo’s words, it looks like an even better one.
If Manchester United’s interest in Almiron really was genuine, then Mike Ashley has made a real statement by landing the 25-year-old, and that should delight supporters.
It is a show of the club’s pulling power when Ashley actually does decide to spend money instead of being so tight and, as long as a coach of Benitez’s stature is at the helm, there is no reason why more signings like Almiron cannot follow.
In more ways than one, the signing of Almiron is a victory for both Benitez and the Newcastle faithful.