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With their fate now fully sealed Leeds United’s game against Ipswich poses a real opportunity for Marcelo Bielsa to experiment with his squad ahead of the playoffs.

The striker position has offered up a real conundrum for the Argentine in recent weeks with the suspension of Patrick Bamford and the questionable fitness of Kemar Roofe.

Chance to experiment

With Bamford picking up a two-game suspension after his simulation on Sunday, Bielsa will be without his first choice forward for the playoff semi-final first leg.

Roofe would usually be the obvious replacement for the former Villa man but the Whites’ top scorer has been irked by injury problems in recent months meaning that he has not completed a full 90 minutes since mid-February.

The game against the Tractor Boys is a chance for the Leeds manager to try something different and have a plan B if he is left without his two most deadly frontmen.

Edmondson should start

If Roofe can’t complete a full match and Bamford is suspended, then the Argentine will have to call upon Ryan Edmondson to play in one of the most important games of the Whites’ season.

Therefore, the 17-year-old should start the game against Ipswich so that he can embed himself into the squad and learn a little bit about playing in Bielsa’s system.

The game comes with no risk attached and it gives the manager a chance to weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of the youngster’s game.

On top of this, Ipswich are the worst team in the Championship so there is a decent chance that Edmondson could open up his account on Sunday with a goal.

If the striker does manage to find the back of the net at Portman Road, then he would head into the playoffs much more confident. The boost of scoring his first goal could potentially could help him put in a much stronger performance if Roofe’s fitness fails him and they are forced to call upon the teenager.

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According to The Sun, Brendan Rodgers is plotting a move for Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge. The striker has rarely been afforded game time in recent seasons, predominantly because of injury and the form of the Reds’ magnificent front three.

As a result, the club look as though they’re willing to let the striker’s contract run down, with his current deal ending in the summer. That means that any potential suitor would not have to pay a single penny for his services.

Leicester have emerged as one of the parties interested in the 5 ft 10 attacker as their new manager aims to reunite himself with a player who almost helped win him the league at Liverpool. But given the player’s injury record, should the Foxes be looking to sign him? Football FanCast writers give their verdict..

Harry Sherlock

“Leicester should stay as far away from Daniel Sturridge as humanly possible. He can’t stay fit and he no longer possesses the ferocious pace that so made him a star. The fact of the matter is that Leicester need to bring in younger players with the hunger and ability to take the Foxes up a level. Fans remember them winning the Premier League, of course, and playing in the Champions League. Signing Sturridge does nothing to return Leicester to that level. In fact, it does the exact opposite – it sends the wrong message to fans and players alike, and smacks of hunting for a bargain instead of doing proper scouting.”

James Beavis

“In my opinion Leicester need two strikers this summer with Jamie Vardy ageing and Kelechi Iheanacho simply not good enough. If one of those is Daniel Sturridge on a free then I personally think it’s a no-brainer. Brendan Rodgers knows his strengths and bringing him to the King Power Stadium for nothing means he then would be able to spend big on another striker. Sturridge needs consistent starts to find some form and he would get that with the Foxes – in fact, he and Maddison together would be mouth-watering.”

Harry Elnaugh

“Jamie Vardy was neutralised by Newcastle at the weekend and it was clear that Leicester need someone who can bring a different dimension to the attack. Iheanacho doesn’t cut the mustard so the Foxes may have to dig into their pockets this summer to rejuvenate their strike-force. However, if they can poach Sturridge for free then it changes everything. Of course, the Liverpool man cannot be relied upon to lead the line for a whole season due to his recurring injury issues, but he’s lethal in front of goal and can work in tight spaces. A reunion with Rodgers makes perfect sense.”

Matt Dawson

“On a free transfer, a potential move for Daniel Sturridge would be fantastic business by Brendan Rodgers. His best season for goals came under the Scot and a potential link up between the pair could be absolute dynamite for Leicester. Jamie Vardy has been tasked with scoring the brunt of the club’s goals in recent seasons and a move for a high class striker is definitely needed to lift some of the burden. Sturridge may have struggled for game time and goals under Jurgen Klopp but under Rodgers, we could witness a career revival for someone who was once one of the deadliest finishers in the league.” 

يعتقد قائد نادي مانشستر يونايتد الأسبق، روي كين، أن مواجهة اليوم بين ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي مصيرية وحاسمة في المنافسة على لقب بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحل ليفربول ضيفًا على مانشستر سيتي على ملعب “الاتحاد” في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم، كريج باوسون.

وتحتل كتيبة المدير الفني، يورجن كلوب، المركز الرابع برصيد 16 نقطة حتى الآن في ترتيب الدوري الممتاز، بينما يتواجد مانشستر سيتي في المركز الثاني عشر برصيد 11 نقطة قبل انطلاق المباراة المرتقبة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بي بي سي تكشف عن أزمة محتملة في مباراة ليفربول وميتلاند بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا

ووضح كين وجهة نظره في المباراة خلال حواره بشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”، وقال: “اعتقد انها ستكون مباراة كبيرة وحاسمة”.

وتابع: “عندما ننظر إلى الموسم الماضي، وقت فوز ليفربول على مانشستر سيتي في أنفيلد شعرت وقتها أن المنافسة على اللقب قد انتهت”.

وأضاف: “بداية مانشستر سيتي كانت تتسم بالبطء نوعًا ما في الموسم الحالي، على الرغم من أن لديهم مباراة أو مباراتين مؤجلتين وما زالا في متناول اليد”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “إذا نجح ليفربول في الفوز بهذه المباراة، وعلى الرغم من أننا ما زلنا في بداية الموسم لكنها ستجعل مانشستر سيتي في موقف صعب وأمام طريق طويل للعودة إلى المنافسة مرة أخرى”.

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Liverpool travel to Barcelona on Wednesday evening for what is a crucial Champions League semi-final inside the Camp Nou, where Jurgen Klopp’s men will have the chance to score a vital away goal.

It will certainly be a tough task for the Reds against one of the best sides in Europe, and it will be an enticing watch as to who comes out on top between Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk, arguably two of the best in their positions in world football.

However, the job could be made harder for Liverpool if Roberto Firmino cannot recover from his ‘small muscle tear’, which ruled him out of the 5-0 win over Huddersfield.

Watch “Jurgen Klopp’s” hilarious masterplan for winning the title in the video below…

The Brazilian is a crucial cog in Klopp’s team, and his absence could be a significant factor in Liverpool’s chances of getting a result against the Spanish champions.

Firstly, let’s see how the Reds may set up with Firmino available…

This is how Klopp opted to line his side up against the Terriers, apart from Daniel Sturridge coming in for Firmino, and saw a performance from his men which yielded five goals and a clean sheet; a real swashbuckling showing.

However, if Firmino is unavailable, the former Borussia Dortmund boss will have to rethink things – Sturridge was ineffective against the league’s basement side in Huddersfield, so he can’t be seriously considered against Barcelona.

Of course, Xherdan Shaqiri is an option to come in, so too is Divock Origi, but we don’t think that Klopp will spring any surprises; instead, we think he may just alter one in-form star’s position slightly…

Instead of bringing in a recognised attacker, Klopp should move Keita out onto the left-wing, and put Sadio Mane into the centre-forward role where he has shone at times this season.

The Guinean international has played out on the left four times in the current campaign, and it is an area that Klopp has said in that past that Keita can play in due to his ‘speed’ and ‘football intelligence’.

The chain reaction of Firmino missing out and pushing Keita wide would then make room for Georginio Wijnaldum, who has recently seen his spot hijacked by a resurgent Jordan Henderson.

In Mane’s case, the Senegalese international played as a centre-forward in the 5-0 win over Watford earlier in the season, a game in which he netted two goals – including an expertly taken back-heel chip over Ben Foster.

Given the lack of quality in the forward options behind Firmino, such as Origi and Sturridge, this would be Klopp’s best lineup in the absence of his first-choice No.9, and would go some way to helping them get a result and potentially a crucial away goal.

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According to reports in Belgium, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is keen on a £20m move for Standard Liege starlet Moussa Djenepo having been impressed with the winger’s exploits this campaign.

With 11 goals and six assists to his name in 39 appearances across all competitions, the 20-year-old has surely won plenty of admirers all over Europe, so the Saints could have their work cut out bringing him across the channel in the coming months.

Austrian Hasenhuttl’s desire to bring through and develop younger players has been evident in his tutelage of Yan Valery, Josh Sims and Michael Obafemi this season; Djenepo could benefit in a similar way should he decide to trade the Jupiler Pro League for the English top flight.

A versatile player but predominantly a left-winger, Malian Djenepo’s arrival at St Mary’s Stadium for a reported £20m could spell the end of Moi Elyounoussi’s time at the club, with the Norwegian having had a dismal first season in red and white. Below, Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts on what Djenepo signing for Saints could mean for 24-year-old Elyounoussi…

James Beavis

“That move wouldn’t spell the end for Elyounoussi, because the Norwegian has already sealed his own fate. His performance against West Ham was the final straw, as he failed to take the opportunity he was given by Ralph Hasenhuttl. In terms of Djenepo, he is a youngster who is still raw and isn’t proven in a top European league, but Saints fans would rather have him in the XI than the constantly ineffectual Norwegian.”

Has Jack Stephens unfairly been made a scapegoat at Southampton? The Ugly Inside discusses in the video below…

Harry Sherlock

“It should. Elyounoussi has never been good enough for Southampton and, while Djenepo is something of an unknown quantity, there is no point in keeping the Norwegian at the club if the Mali international finds his way to St Mary’s. In 19 games, Elyounoussi has not scored or laid on an assist for the club. Bomb him out this summer and hope Djenepo offers more of a threat further forward; really, he can’t be much worse.”

Jack Saville

“Mohamed Elyounoussi has been an incredibly underwhelming signing for Southampton and the writing may well be on the wall regardless of whether they sign Moussa Djenepo. The 20-year-old prospect would add some extra competition in attacking midfield and that certainly won’t aid the struggling Norwegian in his endeavour to transform his career. Either way, Hasenhuttl has a massive decision to make on Elyounoussi this summer and Southampton’s interest in Djenepo could be a sign that the wheels are already in motion for his departure.”

Can you think of a player that’s had a season as unique as Fernando Llorente? For much of his time at Tottenham, he’s struggled to get off his feet, with the Spaniard unable to challenge Harry Kane for a starting berth in north London.

As a result, he’s not been given a regular run in the first team, and generally when he has played, he hasn’t looked particularly good.

Of course, that doesn’t matter if he’s scoring goals, and that’s exactly what he did when Tottenham took on Man City in the Champions League. He popped up with a crucial goal – and one that helped send Spurs into the semi-finals.

Despite that, though, it’s fair to say that he’s still facing an uncertain future at the club. That goal will have made him more popular at the club, but with Harry Kane still out, Llorente has a big point to prove during Spurs’ last four Premier League games.

A strong end to the season may be enough, but if he finishes poorly, you’ve got to wonder if he’ll be a Spurs player next season. Despite occasionally important goals, more often than not, he’s an incredibly inconsistent player, and that’s not what you need from your back-up forward.

Not to mention, at 34-years-old, he’s not going to be getting any better, and that’s something else to consider. His form will only worsen, unless he’s able to step up.

Llorente is in an interesting situation, given that his contract expires at the end of the season, according to Transfer Markt. He’s not just needing to prove himself to prevent being placed on the transfer list, but rather, he needs to impress so that he isn’t moved on. Man City was a good start, but he must continue to impress.

Tottenham fans – would you move him on? Let us know below!

Liverpool may be dominant now, but if Jurgen Klopp neglects his duty and fails to rebuild for the future then he could find his side slumbering to the depths from which he dragged them.

Developing youth is an essential part of the programme. It helps develop a clubs identity, excites fans to the prospect of ‘one of their own’ ‘making it’ and has countless financial benefits – be that through selling players or saving in the market.

Liverpool, at the moment, have a lot of young talent making waves in the game, the likes of Ryan Kent and Harry Wilson, for example, are turning heads at their respective loan sides.

Then there is Ki-Jana Hoever, Bobby Duncan, Rhian Brewster and Rafael Camacho kicking about in the youth system – waiting for their big opportunity.

For the latter, Rafael Camacho, however, ‘pending star’ status may be the only thing he achieves at Anfield.

He’s produced nine goals and eight assists in all competitions for the Under-23s this season.

Indeed, despite Camacho being handed a club debut in Liverpool’s ill-fated FA Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a substitute appearance in the league, there appears to be no future in Merseyside for the Portugal under-20 winger, with contract negotiations reported to have stalled (as per Sky Sports).

To allow top class talent to so easily slip through the net is a major concern. If Liverpool are to win the Premier League this season, which is looking likely, Klopp will want to build on upon that success for years to come, but this simply will not be possible if he keeps throwing away his brightest young players.

Liverpool fans, should tying Rafael Camacho down to a new contract be your priority? Let us know in the comments below…

The difference between Liverpool now and in the pre-Virgil van Dijk era is astonishing, to say the least.

The world’s most expensive defender has lived up to the massive transfer fee Liverpool shelled out for him in December of 2017, and although van Dijk has grabbed the headlines this season and has asserted himself as one of the best centre-backs in world football, little has been said about his defensive partner Joel Matip.

The Cameroonian international has quietly built up a good reputation for himself in recent months with Joe Gomez out of the sideline with injury. Matip was once seen as Liverpool’s defensive saviour when he joined the Reds from Schalke on a free in 2016, and although on his own the defender has not set the Premier League alight, partnered with van Dijk the duo have been one of the best centre-back pairings in Europe.

And with reports from Football Insider emerging that the defender is set to be offered a new deal for his improved performances this season, it is likely we will see Matip take the number one spot in the Liverpool team for being the man to play alongside van Dijk in the starting XI.

There’s no question that long-term Gomez will be the player to lead the Liverpool backline, but for now, Matip has won over Jurgen Klopp and the Reds fans as the man to partner alongside van Dijk, and a new deal will be a testament to that statement.

Liverpool fans, has Matip been van Dijk’s best partner this season? Let us know!

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Chris Waddle does not believe that a move to Manchester United instead of Tottenham Hotspur would have solved Paul Gascoigne’s many problems, per The Football Faithful.

What’s he said?

Gascoigne, affectionately known as ‘Gazza’ by many fans, has long been regarded as one of the most gifted players England has ever produced.

A World Cup semi-finalist in 1990, he played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton, Burnley, Gansu Tianma and Burton Albion in what turned out to be something of a nomadic career.

However, prior to his move to Spurs, he was heavily linked with a switch to United, and many have claimed that the stabilising influence of Sir Alex Ferguson could have saved Gascoigne from his demons, namely his drinking.

But Waddle does not believe that to be the case.

He said: “He would have driven Sir Alex Ferguson up the wall! I’m going no. I think Paul was very much an individual. He liked Terry Venables, I think they had a great relationship. Terry knew what buttons to press with Gazza. He knew he was a loose cannon.

“If you just got him on the park that was the safest place to put him because we didn’t know what else he’d be doing if he wasn’t on the park. You just look back and think Terry handled him very well. I think maybe Sir Alex with his Iron Fist, I don’t think Gazza would have enjoyed that. Gazza wouldn’t have enjoyed being bullied and intimidated at times.

“There was a lot of players coming towards the end of their time. I remember Viv Anderson was there, Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, and Paul McGrath and I think at United they were sort of known as liking a drink.

“Would that have helped Gazza? He would have been tagged on to it because that’s how he was. Nobody knows, I’m saying no, even though Man United were brilliant, and yes I could be wrong. Alex Ferguson could have been the manager that Gazza needed. But with Gazza, he got on better with managers who were a little bit more laid back.”

An arm around the shoulder

Gazza’s favourite manager has always appeared to be Sir Bobby Robson, the legendary boss who took England to the last four of the World Cup.

Ferguson, as Waddle claims, was not that type of manager, the one who constantly reassured his players of their own talents.

And, boy, was Gazza talented.

He was a maverick, a brilliant midfielder who could change games in an instant.

But his problems, so well documented, may well have been his downfall at United; who knows how long Ferguson would have humoured him.

It would have been mightily fun, though.

To call tonight’s game against Napoli as the biggest match of Arsenal’s season might seem like a stretch, but it certainly feels like it.

A 2-0 win last week against the Italian giants has set the Gunners up for a brilliant opportunity to not only knock out one of the competitions biggest teams, but to establish themselves as the club to beat in the Europa League this season, but it won’t be an easy task.

Sure going into the game in Naples with two goals is a great advantage for the Gunners, but this is Arsenal we’re talking about, and mistakes are bound to happen tonight.

We have seen the club crack under the pressure of playing a big side on the road this season already, with Unai Emery’s side going from 1-0 up to 5-1 down against Liverpool in December as an example, and Arsenal will know that Napoli are almost guaranteed to get goals tonight.

Clean sheets away from home are rare for Arsenal, with their first in the Premier League coming last Monday against Watford, and this weakness on the road will lead to Emery facing an uphill battle tonight in Naples, but all is not lost.

Arsenal’s record against Italian teams is fairly good, winning against the likes of Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli in recent history and only losing twice to sides from the country, one of them being their opponents tonight.

Last season, the Gunners went to Milan the underdogs and ended up walking away as 2-0 winners at the San Siro, and although the environments between the iconic Milan stadium and the San Paolo, the history backs Arsenal to get something from Naples in their biggest game of the season.

Arsenal fans, can the Gunners progress to the semi-finals of the Europa League? Let us know!