Liverpool are interested in beating bitter rivals Everton to the signing of Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri, according to the Daily Star.
What’s the story, then?
The Star report that Jurgen Klopp wants to recruit backups for his mercurial front three and is eyeing a cut-price £12m move for the Swiss international, 26, from the recently-relegated Potters.
They claim that Merseyside rivals Everton are one of the other Premier League clubs interested in the versatile playmaker and are more likely to be able to offer him regular gametime.
They also go on to say that both clubs will have to wait if they are to secure Shaqiri’s signature because his future will not be resolved until after this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Shaqiri doesn’t work hard enough for Klopp
Klopp is right to attempt to recruit depth, cover and variety for his attack and at £12m it is easy to see why Shaqiri appeals; yet the virtuoso playmaker does not work anywhere near hard enough to be an asset in the German’s high-octane, team-orientated pressing game.
Everton signed a host of big-money players last summer but failed to add genuine width or, in actual fact, the requisite quality to make a real indent on the top six but Shaqiri is good enough to rectify that.
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He is a player worthy of a top six side and Everton’s gameplan next season could be shaped by Shaqiri’s talents; but the Swiss would struggle badly with Klopp’s intense demands.
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Following Theo Walcott’s impressive performance in the incredible 7-5 victory at Reading on Tuesday night, in which the striker scored a hat-trick, earning him the man of the match award, discussions have yet again been brought to the surface in the media as to where Walcott’s future lies.
Walcott has certainly received masses of praise since his performance on Tuesday night. Arsene Wenger has made it clear since the win at Reading that he wants the contract dispute which has plagued the 23-year-old’s season so far to be sorted within the next two months. However, should Wenger be breaking the bank to keep the Arsenal man?
When looking at Walcott’s role in the team, it is obvious to see that until his contractual situation is sorted out, he is surplus to requirements at the Emirates stadium. Whether Walcott’s lack of match action is to do with the dispute or not, with one Premier League start and six substitute appearances, it is perhaps disconcerting for the winger that Wenger is happy to play Aaron Ramsey at right-wing forward, a position which isn’t natural to the Welshman. Ramsay also doesn’t possess the natural explosive pace that is normally required to succeed in the right wing forward position.
It is also clear that Wenger does not envisage the England international as a central striker for the foreseeable future. The Capital One cup game, in which Wenger made several changes to the side that beat QPR on Saturday, was the Arsenal manager’s perfect opportunity to trial Walcott up front. Instead, he opted for an out of favour Marouane Chamakh and played Walcott in his accustomed right-wing forward position. Although, Wenger has insisted that Walcott has a long-term future in the centre, I somehow doubt his conviction in practising Walcott’s request.
Interestingly, what was noticeable about Walcott’s play on Tuesday night was a change of approach. During his bad patch last season where he was heavily criticised before he turned his season around in the 5-2 victory over Spurs, he was often inflexible and robotic and would occupy the wing as if his life depended on it. I wonder whether that has been a subtle conscious effort between Wenger and Walcott this season for the wide man to drift in to the play a little more. This added variation to his game certainly contributed to him being in the right position for each of his three goals on Tuesday, This was also perhaps an indication that finally, and is beginning to adopt to the Arsene Wenger style of free-flowing, short and direct style of football that he has always required from his side.
The other question when assessing the extent to which Arsene Wenger should be looking to extend the services of his speedy winger is whether he is any better than what they have already got at Arsenal? Would they actually miss Walcott? There are arguably five players who are capable in playing in Walcott’s primary position. This is a problem for Walcott as right hand side is certainly up for grabs for Arsenal. Wenger appears to know who he wants in the other attacking positions. It is hard to envisage Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere losing their places in the middle of the park as the season progresses. Lukas Podolski has impressed on the left wing since his arrival from Cologne in the summer and Wenger is a big fan of the Frenchman Giroud up front, and as mentioned, Wenger will not play Walcott in the centre, not in the short-term anyway.
Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky are the two players who are happier in the centre of midfield for the Gunners, but perhaps realise that their best opportunity of playing for the Gunners this season is out on the right. The other three out and out wide men capable of playing on the right are Andrei Arshavin, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst it seems as if Arshavin will inevitably move back to Russia in January, Gervinho, although not completely fancied by many Arsenal supporters and primarily likes to play as a central striker, is an Arsene Wenger ‘yes’ man, and therefore looks to have a future ahead of him. Oxlade-Chamberlain is a talent, and although he would ideally deputise on the left, three starts and three substitute appearances have clearly demonstrated that he is in front of Walcott in the Arsenal pecking order at this moment in time. Therefore, with four players who can potentially fill Walcott’s position and who are likely to be at the Emirates post January transfer window, we must question whether Arsenal actually need Walcott? On the other hand, some may well argue that actually, Walcott is better than the five players I have mentioned, and therefore whilst competition in the right wing position is strong, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Walcott is irreplaceable.
The final thing to consider is whether Walcott has an important role to play in Arsenal’s future. Wenger has reiterated his desire to hold on to his man. I don’t think Wenger is one to mince his words, which was to his detriment in last week’s AGM in which he admitted that qualifying for the Champions League is more important than winning a domestic trophy. Therefore, I think it is obvious that Wenger rates Walcott highly despite leaving him out in the cold at the moment. I also think that whilst Walcott is a good player, he is not a cut above the rest of the Arsenal team like Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie were. Therefore, I cannot imagine Europe’s elite will come sniffing for Walcott like they did for the aforementioned players. For these reasons, I believe that Walcott does have a future at Arsenal.
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However, whether he has a future at the club and whether Arsenal should be breaking the bank to keep him is a different matter. Ultimately, I believe that they shouldn’t. I am one of Walcott’s biggest admirers, but there are two reasons as to why I have come to this conclusion. Firstly, Arsenal fans have been let down with players making out as if they are bigger than the club. I’m not an Arsenal supporter, but if I were I would be sick to death of the lack of loyalty displayed by their top players. They have ultimately made Arsenal a selling club. If Walcott won’t sign, Arsenal need to make a stance and let him go. Secondly, when Arsenal lost Fabregas and RVP, there was a real air of dejection around Arsenal. I don’t get the impression that there would be as much grievance if Walcott were to leave the Emirates. Quality players like Fabregas and Van Persie will always be missed; unfortunately I just can’t say the same for Theo.
Summary: Everton reinforced their push for European football and nudged QPR another step closer to the Premier League trapdoor after securing an easy win at Goodison Park.
The R’s now look destined to spend next season in the Championship after succumbing to an 11th defeat on the road as the Toffees solidified their position in the Premier League’s top-six. It wasn’t until five minutes before half time that David Moyes’ men struck first blood and came after Tim Howard had produced a miraculous save to deny Park Ji-Sung from putting the visitors in front.
Leighton Baines worked space to cross down the left with the ball finding its way to Darron Gibson outside the penalty area with his drilled strike looked a routine save for Julio Cesar until Clint Hill flicked out a leg and deflected it past the despairing Brazilian keeper. Victor Anichebe wrapped up the points after the break when he flicked the ball home from Baines corner that was headed on by Sylvain Distin.
David Moyes post-match…”It’s a really important three points, because I was worried about today’s game. QPR have a lot to play for and they are almost getting to a situation where they don’t have much to play for.”
Harry Redknapp post-match…”I can’t stand there and go no [we can’t do it], if it’s a no I may as well go on holiday now. We have to believe. We have to beat Stoke, we have to beat Reading, then Newcastle and Arsenal. I know it’s tough but while you’ve got a chance you have to keep going.”
Good day for?…Darron Gibson: Held a strong measure of control in midfield and was by far and large Everton’s best player on the day. Capped off his performance off with a goal just before the break that put his side on the path to victory.
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Bad day for?…Jose Boswinga: An afternoon to forget for the veteran Portuguese full back and will have been relieved to depart Goodison Park after being tortured by Everton duo Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar for 90 minutes.
Since the advent of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions’ League in 1992 – the year zero of modern football – finishing in the top four of English football’s top flight has been regarded as an achievement on a par with lifting an actual trophy. Qualification for the Champions League is the mother of all money spinners, and the elite English quartet that find themselves in the competition can be assured of receiving all the benefits that come with participation in the biggest club competition in world football. Playing in the Champions’ League has become the be-all-and-end-all of European football, and there is an untouchable handful of superclubs – the crème de la crème of the crème de la crème, as it were – who can always be expected to take their place in the competition year after year, without any danger of slipping out.
Such an invariable hierarchy once existed in English football, especially in the 2000s. The top four was for many years the domain of the Big Four – Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea – and talk always centered on what order the Big Four would finish in, rather than the possibility of one of the clubs dropping out. The rise of the nouveau super-riche Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s smashing of the glass ceiling at the end of the decade, however, saw the break-up of the established order, and while it could be argued that a hierarchy is very much still in place, with the only difference being that it is now merely enlarged, there is no denying that there is greater variability with regard to the teams who occupy the top four at the end of the season. Whilst Liverpool were the early victims of this significant upheaval, their revival last season came at the expense of Manchester United, who failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 19 years.
This season promises to bring even greater unpredictability to the top four chase; with Liverpool and Manchester United struggling early on, this could be the year that the Premier League witnesses the most profound change at the summit. Here are three outsiders who could break into the top four:
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Everton are arguably the team who set out the stall for a change in the makeup of the top four. Their fourth-placed finish under David Moyes ten years ago saw Liverpool ejected from the elite, and although the Reds still qualified for the Champions League the following season due to their heroics in Istanbul, their rivals across Stanley Park proved that the Big Four were by no means untouchable. Much has changed since then at Goodison Park; while last season was a memorable one for the Toffees as they recorded their highest ever points total in the league under new manager Roberto Martinez, the current campaign has begun badly. The £28m paid by Martinez for Romelu Lukaku was a significant investment and the Belgian has started to find goalscoring form, however failure to address weaknesses in the defence in the transfer window could prove to be a glaring oversight as Everton have already conceded heavily this season – the most in the league so far. Although Everton have a talented young manager and an exciting attack, their ageing defence often leaves them vulnerable; as such, a top four spot looks to be out of their reach this season.
Top Four verdict: Unlikely
Tottenham
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Tottenham Hotspur emulated Everton by finishing in the Top Four in the 2009/10 season, however they can still be considered outsiders to repeat the feat given that it was the solitary year in which they managed to qualify for the Champions’ League. They were harshly denied qualification three seasons ago despite finishing fourth, due to sixth-placed Chelsea winning the competition (which meant that the Blues took their place), and the belief of many this season is that Spurs are a team who are not quite good enough to make the Champions’ League. Like Everton, there is one area of the team in which they are notably weak; they possess a wonderful goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris, a decent defence and impressive strength in depth and attacking flair in midfield, yet their strikeforce is woefully inadequate. Emmanuel Adebayor has experience and can be a menace on his day, but is too inconsistent and at 30 is past his peak, while Roberto Soldado has displayed the attacking threat of a sloth since his arrival last season. If chairman Daniel Levy can bring himself to be patient for once and persist with new manager Mauricio Pochettino, then Champions League football may eventually come, though it may be a tall order this season.
Top Four verdict: Dark horses if they invest in a quality striker in January
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Southampton
The Saints were ready and set for a season of difficult transition after an exodus of playing and coaching staff over the summer, however current manager Ronald Koeman has made a mockery of such predictions so far as his new-look side has enjoyed a superb start to the campaign. His recent signings – especially Graziano Pellé – have settled in well, whilst homegrown players such as Nathaniel Clyne and James Ward-Prowse continue to develop at an impressive rate – with the former scoring a superb goal against Arsenal in the League Cup. Koeman has not been afraid to stamp his authority on the team by offloading the likes of Gaston Ramirez and Dani Osvaldo, and is an experienced manager who has enjoyed plenty of success on the continent. The news that Ward-Prowse will be out for ten weeks due to injury will have come as a blow, however the way in which the Saints cope in his absence will determine whether they can seriously be considered as top four contenders. Southampton currently sit in the upper echelons of the table, and with three of their most of their coming games at home against mid-to-lower table opposition, their stay in the top four may not be a fleeting one. Of all the outsiders, the Saints are probably the team who are fancied the least; but their talented squad and team ethic, not to mention their decorated manager, mean that they should certainly not be underestimated.
Top Four verdict: Europa League more realistic, but write them off at your peril
Arsene Wenger won’t have many selection headaches going into the next few games, with Per Mertesacker the only senior centre-back likely to be available and the bat signal letting Sebastian Squillaci know his time is near.
It was typical, then, that this injury hammer blow to Arsenal’s central defence occurred as soon as the January window slammed shut. And in true Arsenal fashion, one of the centre-backs, Laurent Koscielny, was injured while on international duty.
The problem isn’t that Wenger has to decide upon a suitable pairing between his three options in defence, but rather the reality that three was never enough for a team like Arsenal, one who are competing on numerous fronts and who have a disastrous injury record.
It’s been said that Mertesacker is one of the worst defenders in the league and a shambles of an individual to man the Arsenal back line. I’m not buying that. For starters, Mertesacker seemed one of the few options available to Wenger in the market at the back end of summer 2011 – albeit a player who was on the radar for many months – but little thought went into how the German would fit into Wenger’s attacking philosophy.
We all know Mertesacker’s weaknesses, in that he lacks any noticeable physical pace yet more than makes up for it in quickness of thought. He’s not a bad defender or a stupid defender; the argument of support will always rumble back to the fact he has almost a century worth of international caps for Germany. But it’s not the player’s fault that he’s been thrown into a defensive line that pushes high up. He doesn’t have the pace to operate in that manner and in turn looks much worse than he actually is.
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The issue isn’t that Wenger may have a tough time figuring out who to select of his three established centre-backs, but it does appear he makes his choices on form rather than what each player can provide against specific styles of opposition.
As suggested, there is no use in playing Mertesacker in games where the play will be open and at a high tempo. Yes, he has shown great defensive abilities against players like Luis Suarez and the Manchester City attack this season, showcasing his ability to read the game extremely well. This has supported the claim that Mertesacker is a natural first-choice due to his contrasting style to either of the other two options. Yet a player of his offering should be in against those who use aerial attacks as their prime weapon. Moreover, there is no way that Mertesacker, Koscielny or Thomas Vermaelen can last 50 games a season if any of them are selected as the first-choice pairing.
You look at clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and even Tottenham and acknowledge that they are well-stocked in numbers at centre-back, despite numerous injury problems they themselves face throughout a season.
Wenger should never have allowed Kyle Bartley to leave, even though it’s understandable that the player wanted to play regularly in the Premier League. It just goes back to the argument as to why invest so much time in developing youngsters only to sell them when they reach an age where contributions to the first team can be made. It’s a frustration that is compounded due to the fact Arsenal won’t go into the market if they see problems in the squad.
Three senior centre-backs fully fit at Arsenal is the least of Wenger’s problems. When games start stacking up and should Arsenal progress in the Champions League, those three options will become vital – and even then it might not be enough.
I don’t see anything wrong with any of the options currently available at Arsenal; the questions should be aimed at the tactics used and what is done to prepare the players during training.
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The team currently have a good blend of options, however more needs to be added in the summer. For a club who are competing on four fronts each season, three centre-backs is simply not enough.
Paraguay international Lucas Barrios has opened the door for a January move to the Premier League by indicating that his future with Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande is in doubt.
The striker, who has previously been linked with of Manchester City and Arsenal, has failed to settle in Asia and is looking to depart, despite only moving signing with his current club last summer.
The 28-year-old has stated that his agent is looking into the possibility of a transfer:
“My agent is going to China to discuss my future with the Guangzhou Evergrande board,” he is quoted by SkySports.
“I am happy that clubs in Italy, England and Germany are tracking me and I want to play there.”
The South American hit-man shot to fame at Borussia Dortmund, where he had a strike rate of nearly one-in-two during the 2009-2012 seasons.
Despite this, he slipped down the pecking order with Bundesliga champions and departed for China in a big money deal.
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Barrios has made just a handful of appearances for his new team, but has been very vocal in his desire to move on, due to failing to acclimatise to his new surroundings.
Guangzhou Evergrande are one of the richest teams in the Chinese Super League and pay star midfielder Dario Conca a rumoured £200,000-per-week.
Darren Bent is set for showdown talks with Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert to discuss his future, The Sun claim.
The England international was dropped for the Midlands club’s game against West Brom on Sunday, but did come off the bench to get an equaliser for the Villa Park club in a 1-1 draw.
Bent was initially named as club captain due to Stiliyan Petrov’s ongoing medical concerns, but the Scottish coach has also stripped the forward of the skipper’s armband of late.
Given that Bent is no longer guaranteed a first-team place at Villa, there have been rumblings in the press over the attacker’s long term future with Lambert in charge of the club.
Bent has confessed however that he is in the dark slightly, and will talk to Lambert this week to shed some light on the situation.
“It’s been a crappy couple of weeks for me,” the goalgetter admitted.
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“I’ve not spoken to the manager about why he left me out, we’ll probably speak this week.”
Nani’s career at Manchester United is at an all-time low, from his long-running contract dispute to alleged fisticuffs with a reserve team player, he seems to be heading for the exit door fast.
After almost being guaranteed a place in the United team, he now faces a struggle to get back into the squad, let alone the starting line-up.
The Portuguese international’s poor form at the start of this season was clear to see and he has proved to be a constant source of frustration, with his poor decision-making and selfishness on the ball.
The events taking place off the pitch have been well-publicised and do not bode well under a manager who moves any player on at the slightest hint of dissent in the ranks.
United and Nani have failed to reach an agreement over a new contract; and this led to claims that the winger was willing to see out the remainder of his current deal and leave on a free transfer.
Zenit St Petersburg were his main pursuers in the summer, but were reportedly put off by the player’s unrealistic wage demands of £130,000 a week, meaning his unsettling presence continued to rumble on into the new campaign.
Nani has also clashed with United’s Under-21 player Davide Petrucci, after a feisty challenge by the 20-year-old in training, causing Nani to later confront the youngster and reportedly land a punch before a number of players broke up the scuffle.
It is a dramatic fall from grace for a player who was once held in the same breath as a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, as both players came through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon and played together at Old Trafford for two seasons.
As Ronaldo left for Real Madrid, there were hopes that Nani could take up the mantle left by his compatriot and use his own pace, dribbling abilities and explosive shot to fire United to glory.
But the fans were willing to give the player time and believed that he may take a couple of years to develop, just as Ronaldo did before becoming a world-beater, although for one reason or another, it has not quite worked out.
There have been a few highlights though, with the 2010/11 season being arguably his best season in a United shirt; Nani scored ten goals on course to another Premier League title; and was named as the club’s player of the year.
Nani has also produced a number of fantastic strikes during his time at the club and is still capable of winning a match on his own with a moment of brilliance.
Although, it is his lack of awareness that is perhaps his greatest weakness, with Nani often failing to correctly judge when to find a pass or shoot at goal.
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His acts of petulance and hot-headedness have also not helped his cause; and Ferguson now sees the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young as more reliable options on the wing.
A big-money offer from one of Europe’s heavyweights may now be too good to resist for a player who has had ample chances to establish himself as a key figure in the side.
Consequently, Nani must re-assess his career and address his weaknesses in order to avoid becoming another player to squander their undoubted talent.
But he must do this quickly as the unforgiving lights at Old Trafford begin to fade.
Alan Pardew admits Newcastle need to pick up points soon if they are to steer clear of a relegation battle this season.
One win in the last 10 games has seen the Magpies drop to 14th, just two points above the relegation zone. The Toon have struggled to cope with injuries and an inflated fixture list with the Europa League this term.
But, with Europe now off the agenda until the knock-out stages in February, the Newcastle boss wants to convert performances into points.
“We have to keep an eye on where we are,” Pardew told Sky Sports.
“It is difficult to get points at the minute. We’re a side that on its day can beat anybody.
“We look more like a team. In the last three games the level has improved. But unfortunately we need to get results.”
Pardew is hoping that Newcastle’s cause will be helped by premature returns to action from the injured Yohan Cabaye and Steven Taylor.
Cabaye has undergone two groin operations, while Taylor has been sidelined with a hamstring problem.
The influential pair had been expected to return in early February. But Pardew has revealed there’s a chance Cabaye and Taylor will be back in the middle of next month.
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However, asked if there were any injury boosts for the visit of Manchester City this weekend, the Toon boss told the Sunderland Echo, “I don’t think so.
“I think that’s the group between now and mid-January, when maybe Steven and Cabaye will come back to us. Until such time, that is the team.”
This season started with a real sense of optimism at White Hart Lane, but with just four games left to go after the 3-3 draw at West Brom, there isn’t much to be cheery about in the white half of north London. Gareth Bale’s departure was always going to be a blow, but there was a feeling that Spurs could at least challenge for the top four, but the dream of top level European football at the Lane next season looks all but gone – and the feeling is even more annoying to the club’s followers with Liverpool’s title charge still going. So what has gone wrong? Here are three reasons why Tottenham aren’t good enough to be in the top four.
Lack of a killer edge
While many of the other top sides have top class striker, Tottenham are over-reliant on the hot/cold Emmanuel Adebayor – who missed a penalty today. Roberto Soldado has also been a £25m disaster, and Harry Kane is too inexperienced to be a regular.
Tim Sherwood isn’t good enough
He may well be off at the end of the season, but the damage has already been done by good ol’ Tim. Sherwood has become a walking joke of late, with his gilet throwing and punch rumours giving other fans a real laugh.
Awful summer signings
£110m should buy at least four top class players, but the only Spurs player to have lived up to his potential this term has been Christian Eriksen. The others – including the missing Erik Lamela – have had a season to forget.
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