The Third Round of the FA Cup remains one of the greatest traditions of English football, but due to the incredible pressures of the Premier League, it has inevitably become the weekend in which most managers look to rotate their squads after a difficult winter period.
While that may be a disparaging remark on how the FA Cup has gradually waned in prestige and importance down the years, it does give fringe players the chance to prove themselves once again after finding themselves some way down the pecking order.
With Everton’s squad emerging as a particularly unbalanced and confusing one after a summer of unprecedented spending at Goodison Park, Sam Allardyce will surely relish the chance to give such players a runout on Friday night against Liverpool and assess whether they should be a part of his future plans.
So, Everton fans, which three fringe players would you like to see start against the Reds in the coming instalment of the Merseyside derby? Let us know which ones you would by giving them a thumbs up, and those you wouldn’t a thumbs down…
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The departure of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona was always going to happen at some point soon, but Liverpool fans can be forgiven for finding themselves miffed at how it was allowed to happen in January.
After an up-and-down start to this season’s campaign, the Reds are on course for a top four finish and have qualified for the next stage of the Champions League. But whether or not they end this campaign in triumph or in failure is still very much in the balance. And selling one of their best players isn’t really going to help matters.
It feels like two steps taken backwards after one leap forwards.
The signing of Virgil van Dijk represented the much-needed addition of a player Liverpool simply didn’t have. Whether or not the Dutchman is the dominating defender he appeared to be last season is perhaps up for debate after his first half of this season. He hasn’t performed well in a struggling Southampton side, but there are clear mitigating factors to be taken into account: he was clearly unsettled and unhappy.
That, however, is in stark contrast to Coutinho, who was technically his teammate for all of a week. The Brazilian wanted to leave and never changed his mind, finally getting his wish in January. To all intents and purposes, this is the same situation as Van Dijk, but the fact that Coutinho put that all to one side for a few months and gave his all to his team is creditable. It’s not what Van Dijk seems to have done.
But although Liverpool really were in dire need of a centre-back in this transfer window, and although, with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah playing either side of Roberto Firmino, the need isn’t quite so great, you get the feeling they’re probably now in need of a creative midfield player, too. Jurgen Klopp’s side now lack a creative midfielder who can change the speed of attacks and see passes others can’t. A lot of that pressure might well be put on the shoulders of Adam Lallana, who’s been injured for most of the season.
And yet there’s an upside.
What the £142m seems to have allowed Liverpool to do is rebalance a squad which was hideously top-heavy. By getting rid of an attacker, they’ve been able to buy a top defender. It’s inconceivable that Liverpool didn’t know that Coutinho was leaving before splashing out on Van Dijk, and the deal with Southampton was surely done in the knowledge that there was £142m coming in for him. Now, instead of having four top attackers, they have three in attack and one in defence. It balances the see-saw just that little bit more.
And just as one Virgil van Dijk won’t change Liverpool’s defence overnight, losing Coutinho probably won’t see one of the league’s most prolific attacks become toothless overnight either.
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If that’s the case, perhaps we might look back on this window as a net good for Liverpool: that in losing a part of an attack which is still fearsome, they’ve been able to patch up a defence which was anything but. Although their threat at one end might be curtailed slightly, their vulnerability at the other might have been helped significantly. And so instead of being able to score three goals in a game, maybe they’ll only manage two – but instead of having to score three to win, they’ll concede fewer and be able to win games by scoring less, too.
Balance is key to most great sides. The fact that Liverpool have been so entertaining this season and yet, ultimately, so ineffective, is down to the fact that their balance is so off-centre. Selling Coutinho and replacing him with a player in a completely different position might not sound like a move which will pacify the fans, but in terms of squad balance, it might well turn out to be the best deal Liverpool could have made this month.
The last 10 months have been agonising for Everton star Seamus Coleman as he has had to recover from a serious injury.
The 29-year-old broke his right leg in two places while playing for the Republic of Ireland in March 2017.
Since then, the Everton star has been working his way back to fitness, and it seems as though he is edging closer to a return to competitive action.
The Irishman made an appearance for the Under-23s on Tuesday night, but it is unclear when he will be welcomed into Sam Allardyce’s squad.
As expected, plenty of fans were delighted by the news that Coleman is building up his fitness.
Others suggested that Coleman should be used to fill the left-back void, which so many supporters are keen for a new player to take on.
Leighton Baines is currently on the treatment table, but at the age of 33, it is time for Everton to start looking for a replacement.
Cuco Martina has been positioned at left-back during his teammates’s absence, but the 28-year-old has failed to impress.
The role is not entirely suited to the Dutchman given that he is predominantly right-footed.
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Coleman has played as a right-back throughout his career, but despite this, some fans want him to switch positions if a new player is not bought by the end of the month.
The January transfer window was one of positives and negatives for Liverpool. On the one hand, they were essentially forced to surrender Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona, but on the other they gave their defensive ranks a much-needed upgrade with a swoop for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.
Excluding future add-ons and bonuses involved in those deals, that saw Liverpool take in a net profit of £37.08million last month according to Transfermarkt. But considering the Reds lost a key player and aren’t exactly guaranteed a place in this season’s top four, some would argue that surplus of funds represent an opportunity missed for the Merseysiders.
Accordingly, we asked Liverpool fans last week whether they were happy with their club’s efforts in the transfer market and the response was a surprisingly stern no, with 79% of those who took part in our poll left feeling displeased.
Which targets would you have liked to see the club bring in last month, Liverpool fans? Let us know by voting below…
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Leeds United failed to win again in the English Championship on Sunday, drawing 2-2 at home to Bristol City, but supporters still found a silver lining in the performance after witnessing there side make a comeback from two goals down.
The visitors rushed to a 2-0 within 20 minutes at Elland Road, threatening to pile misery on a side that have failed to win a single match in 2018.
However, a fine second half performance gave the Whites something to celebrate with Pierre Michel-Lasogga and Kemar Roofe netting late on to rescue a point.
Lasogga may even have scored a dramatic winner in the final moments but saw his header hit the crossbar.
Fans were pleased with the German striker’s performance and after receiving some criticism this season, he appears to be winning around the majority of the Leeds support.
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He’s now scored four goals in his last five appearances and supporters are hopeful he can continue to score in the closing months of the season.
They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the 26-year-old…
Some of the world’s biggest talents will be on show when Arsenal and Manchester City face each other in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, particularly in attack, but the 4.30pm kickoff at Wembley could well be decided by the referee – or, more accurately, one side’s ability to exploit his style of officiating.
Craig Pawson has been appointed to take charge of the contest that will end with the first trophy of the season and the 38-year-old is certainly amongst English football’s stricter referees.
In fact, from the 19 to oversee games in the Premier League this season, Pawson ranks in the top eight for fouls per game and fouls per tackle, while fifth for yellow cards per game and perhaps most worryingly of all for Arsenal and City, first for red cards.
On the surface, that spells far worse news for Arsenal than the Citizens. The Gunners will be expected to do the lion’s share of defending on Sunday in a bid to repel City’s relentless attack, and that will require the kind of physical challenges Pawson’s returns this season suggest could easily result in bookings and perhaps even red cards. Tellingly too, City have committed the fewest fouls of any side in the Premier League this season, while Arsenal rank 12th throughout the division with 10.2 per match – that’s a quite significant margin given how card-happy Pawson has been.
But the north Londoners can turn the fact Pawson has proved himself a martinet into a vital positive for them on Sunday, especially bearing in mind the quality and philosophy of their opposition. Pep Guardiola’s side like to keep the ball in play as much as possible as their meticulous, relentless passing game grinds down their opponents, but Pawson’s preference for awarding fouls rather than letting the game flow can be exploited by Arsenal.
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Committing fouls not only allows them to disrupt City’s rhythm, but perhaps more crucially creates an extra few seconds to catch their breath and reorganise rather than facing recurring waves of attacks from Sunday’s favourites. Inevitably though, there’s a delicate balancing act to be had here; too many fouls or fouls that are too aggressive will clearly lead to yellow cards with Pawson in charge. In a final where Arsenal just can’t afford to go down to ten men, even bookings are a distinct disadvantage.
Nonetheless, it offers Arsenal something of a strategy, but the Gunners will have to be street-smart about its execution, managing both Pawson and the game correctly. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of that from this Arsenal team down the years – but with a trophy on the line and a superior side standing in their way, perhaps we’ll see a different and more pragmatic Arsenal this weekend.
Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom has revealed that he has been pleased with the performances of Pablo Hernandez since arriving at Elland Road last month.
Heckingbottom only took charge of Leeds at the start of February, but the 40-year-old is already under pressure following a record of just one win in five matches.
The Whites suffered a 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Friday night, and now face a home game against Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Leeds are sweating over the fitness of Hernandez, who has missed the team’s last two matches with a groin problem.
Heckingbottom has revealed that the Spaniard has been unable to train due to the injury, but he is hopeful that the 32-year-old will soon return to action.
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Heckingbottom told Leeds Live:
“He’s not been training which is not ideal, but he’s not missed a long time. He’s impressed me, performed well. But we have to mindful to get him fit so he can play every game now.”
Hernandez, who is valued at £1.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has scored six times and registered eight assists in 33 appearances in all competitions for Leeds this term.
Rangers manager Graeme Murty has made three changes to the side that beat Greenock Morton 3-0 in the SFA Cup last weekend for the huge Old Firm derby against arch-rivals Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday, and Gers fans have been quick to have their say on the selection.
Wes Foderingham, Declan John and Jamie Murphy have returned to the XI in place of Jak Alnwick, Andy Halliday and hat-trick hero Jason Cummings, who are all on the substitutes’ bench alongside Kenny Miller, while Bruno Alves starts again despite reservations from his own fans.
The hosts know that they can close the gap on their Glasgow neighbours to just three points with a victory, keeping their chances of winning the Scottish Premiership title well and truly alive.
Rangers supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the 43-year-old’s selection, and while one said “scores a hat-trick and gets dropped” about Cummings, another simply said “this is perfect”.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United have been informed that they will have to pay £131m to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer.
What’s the story?
United will be in the market for at least one new central midfielder this summer as head coach Jose Mourinho looks to put together a squad capable of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title next season.
Michael Carrick will retire as a player to join Mourinho’s coaching staff, whilst the future of Marouane Fellaini is up in the air as the Belgian enters the final months of his contract with the 20-time English champions.
United have long been linked with a move for Milinkovic-Savic, but according to Corriere dello Sport, Lazio have informed the Red Devils that the asking price is a huge £131m.
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The English giants have not been afraid to spend big on the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku in recent seasons, but forking out the hefty transfer fee for a player that is largely unproven at the highest level would be a serious risk for the club.
How good is Milinkovic-Savic?
There is a reason why Lazio value the midfielder so highly. The 23-year-old is an outstanding talent, and United would have to battle the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid for his services if they pressed ahead with a move.
Milinkovic-Savic joined Lazio from Genk in the summer of 2015, and the versatile midfielder managed 10 goals in his first two seasons with the Italian club.
This term, the Serbia international has scored 11 times and registered seven assists in 37 appearances in all competitions.
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Standing at 6ft 4inches, Milinkovic-Savic is an absolute mountain of a man, and there is no question that he has the physical attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
He has the potential to boss the United midfield for the next few years, and there is no question that interest from the Premier League would turn the midfielder’s head.
The asking price is considerable to say the absolute least, but it would be a stunning capture for United, whose supporters are desperate for the deal to go through, if they managed to secure the Serbian’s services this summer.
Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.
It promises to be a fascinating affair on Merseyside as the Reds look to take an advantage into the second leg of the last-eight tie next week.
Liverpool fans have already told head coach Jurgen Klopp that they do not want Jordan Henderson to be in the XI that takes to the field this week.
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And now the club’s supporters have offered some more advice to Klopp, claiming that Trent Alexander-Arnold should not be in the starting team at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold has had a number of positive matches in a Liverpool shirt, but some of his positioning has been a little bit suspect, and there is a fear that he could be exposed by the likes of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling this week.
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It remains to be seen whether the full-back, who is valued at £7.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, faces City, but the Liverpool fans have urged Klopp to drop the England Under-21 international.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below: