On loan West Ham striker Andy Carroll is happy to take a significant pay cut in order to join former club Newcastle United this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Liverpool front man is set to return to Anfield for pre season as West Ham have struggled to secure a deal to keep him in East London after impressive displays in recent weeks.
The England forward is now the Hammers joint top goalscorer this season and the Hammers are doing everything possible to keep him.
However the Newcastle-born striker is hoping to move back to his hometown club this summer and is willing to take a pay cut to do so.
The Toon desperately need to get a result at Queens Park Rangers today in order to avoid joining them in the Championship next season, however it is still in their hands with Wigan three points adrift.
Carroll may be a big name arrival in the summer but a number of key players may well be on their way out of St James’ Park at the end of the season.
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Like so many of the players linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, Luis Suarez to the Emirates makes a whole lot of sense and yet at the same time very little.
I can’t grasp the idea of player wanting a move out of England and then finally deciding to settle for London. Although it’s quite possible that Suarez just saw an opportunity to get himself out of Anfield and to a club who had genuine prospects of major silverware in the near future – and if that meant playing the victim card in England then so be it.
For Arsenal, the move, and even possible passing interest, will reaffirm just how serious they are of bridging the gap between themselves and the top of the Premier League table. Suarez is an elite player in Europe who will make any club better. We’ve seen his contributions to Liverpool in recent seasons, as well as what he offered to a near-lifeless Uruguay at the Olympics last summer. Real Madrid’s public interest in the player wasn’t simply because he represents a marquee signing – Suarez is very much known to back up his lofty status as a footballer.
The thing is, I don’t see Arsenal’s reported interest as being genuine, and that completely ignores the notion that Suarez would even consider a move to another Premier League club, or indeed if Liverpool would sign off on the deal.
Like the case for Liverpool, Suarez isn’t the only great player out there. They can stand to lose him and reinvest the money elsewhere. Fernando Torres came before and had a fantastic three seasons in England before it all went south. Suarez was the obvious replacement and thoughts of the Spaniard completely washed away.
Yes, Suarez will turn Arsenal into genuine title contenders, but so will Gonzalo Higuain. Wayne Rooney is also a name being mentioned, while Fiorentina will be more than willing to sell Stevan Jovetic to Arsenal if it means keeping him away from Juventus. All great or potentially great players, but one doesn’t have a significant title-deciding factor over another.
Arsene Wenger is also highly unlikely to seriously entertain a deal to bring Suarez to the Emirates. Liverpool’s follow-up actions to the Uruguayan’s misdemeanours in the past are one thing; Arsenal simply won’t stand for a key player sullying their reputation in the way Suarez is capable.
Higuain, who could be announced this weekend, offers everything Suarez can. The Argentine is capable of scoring 30 goals over a season and can do just as much to take Arsenal to the top of the league. The financial package for Higuain also makes much more sense, with Liverpool likely to demand at least double what Arsenal are paying Real Madrid.
Stylistically, Suarez is an ideal fit at Arsenal with their playmakers. In terms of generating waves this summer, the capture of Suarez would do a lot for Arsenal’s image and ambitions ahead of next season. The whole of Europe is well aware of what the striker can offer, but going into the Champions League, there would be an added sense of fear in opponents as to what Suarez is capable of on the pitch – and that’s speaking strictly in sporting terms.
That considered, it’s very difficult to see this as a story with legs. Yes, Suarez will turn Arsenal into title contenders, but the cons heavily outweigh the pros. Arsenal are in a financial position this summer where they have a wide market of strikers available to them. Despite not seriously being in the hunt for Robert Lewandowski or Edinson Cavani, there’s no reason why Arsenal couldn’t afford either striker. It would be foolish on the club’s part to limit themselves to Suarez and offer up the financial package that would secure his signature when there are many alternatives available who are just as capable.
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Is Suarez to Arsenal a good move on the part of the club?
The summer transfer window is fast approaching, which means endless speculation and big price tags for most Premier League clubs. But whilst David Moyes will be telling Ed Woodward who he wants to sign, it won’t be that simple for Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. The club’s owners, who also own the Boston Red Sox, have introduced a transfer committee at Anfield, to determine who the Reds will attempt to sign in the summer.
The committee includes a head of analysis, head of development, head of medicine, Brendan Rodgers and Ian Ayre. It’s the ‘Moneyball’ philosophy that has worked so well in baseball, and Fenway Sports Group have decided to implement the strategy in their ‘soccer’ too. The philosophy is about discussing who the best signing would be, as well as avoiding overspending. And while Rodgers is the Billy Beane of Liverpool, it seems head of analysis Michael Edwards is the Paul DePodesta of the ‘Moneyball’ scheme. DePodesta was Beane’s assistant at the Oakland Athletics, were the philosophy was successfully used, and provided him with all the statistical information.
But what are the benefits of a committee as opposed to one man doing the job? Well with Liverpool’s committee, the Reds will be able to discuss and debate who is the best signing for the club. With a statistical input, Liverpool can sit down and work out if Brendan Rodger’s target is really a good fit at the club, or if there is a better option. Rodgers is keen to focus on the mental ability of players too. The Reds have a recent past of signing in-form players who fail when on the big, Anfield stage. But the Northern Irish manager is eager to look at the mental strength of players, to determine if they would be able to handle playing for a team with such high expectations. With medical experts contributing to the discussion, the committee can make an informed choice.
Liverpool’s managing director Ian Ayre was quick to clarify that the committee don’t just look at numbers on a computer screen: “That doesn’t mean somebody else is picking the team for Brendan, but Brendan needs to set out with his team of people which positions we want to fill and what the key targets would be for that. He has a team of people that go out and do an inordinate amount of analysis work to establish who are the best players in that position.” The scouting team puts together lists at least three players deep for each position the club are looking to fill, and then the committee have the final say over any transfer, not just Rodgers. The plan is that the committee will be there for the long term, as the job safety of a manger is so low that the boss can always change at a football club.
So as well as helping determine if the player is a good signing for the club, the committee will also work to keep transfer fees low. Whilst Kenny Dalglish was in charge of the Reds, the ‘king’ spent £110million of FSG’s money in just a year and a half. But with the Red Sox to look after too, the owners can’t afford to waste so much money on players such as Carroll, Downing and Henderson anymore. The trio, who cost £71million, have failed to live up to their high price tags. And after Rodgers spent £15million on Joe Allen, the committee has been swiftly brought into place to avoid anymore wasteful signings.
It’s a good time to start saving money too. With UEFA implementing a financial fair play scheme, the Premier League have followed suit with their own rules, coupled with UEFA’s. Suddenly clubs will have limitations on their spending and wage budgets, and will suffer possible point deductions and exclusion from the Champions League if they break these rules. Liverpool’s committee can not only look at the statistical influence of a player, but look at their wage demands and expected transfer fee, and see if it will fit their current financial situation, or if it would lead to them breaking the FFP rules. Not only will the committee save money for FSG, they will also be able to control the club’s Premier League spending too.
Saving money seems to be the focus for Liverpool and the committee. With the club wanting an increased capacity, the owners have started work on expanding Anfield, and buying houses around the area. With construction costs set to come in within the next few years, Liverpool won’t be able to spend £35million on one player anymore. But it’s not just the building costs that will hinder the Reds.
After they decided to renovate Anfield instead of building a new stadium, the Reds will be hampered by a drop in ticket revenue. Parts of the stadium will become unusable for safety reasons, and Anfield’s capacity will decline whilst they continue to build on the stadium that was opened in 1884. So as well as having to pay construction crews, the Reds’ income will be lower as well, and the club will find themselves in a position where they are unable to spend big money on players.
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Liverpool’s committee will have two priorities: to find the best player to fit at the club, and to seriously control the club’s spending. A lot of Dalglish’s signings were not only a bad fit for the club, but they also came with hugely overpriced transfer fees. The committee will focus on debating who they should sign, with an eye on keeping money tight to their chest. Baseball’s committee has worked in America, so why not over in Merseyside? The opinion of four men is greater than one at Anfield, and that should limit the amount of transfer mistakes that are made by the club. The committee should bring success in the transfer window, whilst keeping the American owners happy.
Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler rejected a move away from the German club in the summer in order to enhance his chances of going to the World Cup, according to Sky Sports.
The German international was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal or Chelsea this summer and the Gunners made an official bid that was accepted, but the player rejected the move.
Draxler is one of Europe’s hottest prospects at the age of just 19 but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would not have bid for new boy Mesut Ozil if the Draxler move went through.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the playmaker but the Blues refused to make a bid due to the excessive midfield options already at Mourinho’s disposal, highlighted by Victor Moses being allowed to leave on loan.
“The World Cup’s at the end of the season and you always need time to get used to a new team,” he told Fifa.com.
“It was not an easy decision. You never know whether you will ever get such an offer again.
“In the end, I followed my heart and decided to remain at Schalke. On top of that, I’m convinced I’m at the right club with Schalke.
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“We haven’t had a great start to the campaign and I was a bit disappointed after the first few games, but I think we took another important step forward after signing Kevin-Prince Boateng. We’ve got a strong team.”
Thierry Henry could be forgiven for having Robert Pires in mind; both are currently training with Arsenal. But the former Arsenal captain went on to compare Mesut Ozil to his former teammate, suggesting that there was a likeness to their style of play and contribution on the field, rather than stating the German was Arsenal’s modern equivalent to Pires.
Pires was a flair player; elegant and fluid. He was considerate with his passing; economical and hospitable. He knew how to make the most of his teammates and how to work in tandem with the other forwards. As Henry stated ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League tie away to Napoli, “football is about partnerships.”
I made the point recently that Ozil was a reference point for the other midfielders in the team. His arrival has lifted the mood at the club and his presence on the pitch has fed confidence to his teammates, yet he’s still regarded as the talisman in midfield, despite the form of others.
In addition, I also pointed out that Ozil’s contributions aren’t always seen from the stats page. His assists numbers over the past three years have been phenomenal, but it’s worth looking at how much he does for others in the way he plays. That was the point of Henry’s comparison. In terms of style and certainly build, Pires and Ozil are notably different.
But then there shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Pires was so educated on the ball. Like so many others who have walked through the doors at either Highbury or The Emirates, Arsene Wenger has looked to transform central players into attackers from the flanks. Tomas Rosicky seemed to be Pires’ most obvious replacement when the Czech international arrived at the club in 2006, seen as a natural No.10 but moved out onto the left.
Henry went on to state his wish to have had played with Ozil, such is the quality the German brings to the team. This is Ozil’s first season in English football, and at present it seems as though Aaron Ramsey is among a small group of players who could be in contention for the Footballer of the Year award in the Premier League.
But Ozil could be on a similar course taken by Pires. During his second season in the Premier League, Pires became one of the driving forces for Arsenal’s success as title winners. The fact that he missed part of the season due to injury further highlights how good he was to pick up the Footballer of the Year accolade. Henry clearly sees similar traits in Ozil. The talent is clear in the German. But what he brings to the team, more so than his actual style, is certainly comparable to Pires.
Dimitar Berbatov has departed English football. Maybe not forever, but it seems fitting to reminisce over one of the Premier League’s most gifted, even if those talents weren’t always quite so plain to see.
It could probably be described as frustrating genius. Berbatov played (and will likely continue to play) the game in such a nonchalant manner that you couldn’t help but be charmed. There’s no leg work involved; he lets the world race on around him to the tune of the English anthem: pace, power and muddied shorts.
It doesn’t sit too well that a player of such quality and ability was perceivably so easily discarded by a team staring relegation in the face. It speaks poorly of more than just Fulham that clubs are unable to cater to or even understand players of Berbatov’s type.
Some will go on to look back at his spell at Manchester United as one which was largely underwhelming. What springs to mind first, the contrast to the preferred choices, especially in big games, of Carlos Tevez or Wayne Rooney, or the brilliance that Berbatov added to United’s game?
I’m not for the idea of measuring a player’s quality by the stats from the two columns that only seem to matter. Goals and assists are one thing, but it’s a completely different topic to talk about the way a player plays the game. That casual attitude where nothing can put a hair out of place. It’s different to overconfidence or even arrogance, because that’s just the way Berbatov is. And yet for him being completely different from most others – and in the most positive way – did we ever really appreciate what a good player he was in England?
Monaco is a new opportunity for him. There is the weight of replacing Radamel Falcao until the end of the season that he’ll have to deal with. But you imagine that despite the unlikelihood of replicating the Colombian’s scoring record, Berbatov will do alright.
It’s not to paint Berbatov in a sensationalist light. He wasn’t the missing piece of Barcelona’s puzzle when Pep Guardiola sought an alternative in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, though the Bulgarian does share many traits with the Swede.
Instead, it’s just a nod to an extremely enjoyable player to watch. Those who command the ball in a way that the gut-busting runners could never master even if they tried for a hundred years. It’s the kind of skill and theatre of a football stadium that should be applauded far more than sprinting across the pitch to block an attempt at goal.
It will be a shame if we can’t properly remember Berbatov for all the positives he brought to English football pitches since arriving in 2006.
Last night embodied a lot of what being a Tottenham fan is all about. A European night under the lights, a journey into the unknown and 90 minutes of heart wrenching emotion; fans wouldn’t have it any other way would they?
It may not have been the glamour of the Champions League, but European football is special for a club like Spurs, and victory last night will hopefully be a catalyst now for a further assault on the Premier League top four. But for many Spurs fans last night did little to allay their fears and to convince them that Tim Sherwood is the right man to push them forward.
In cup football it rarely matters how you make it through, it is all about keeping your hopes live, but for a Spurs side looking for a return to the stylish football of old this just wasn’t it. Spurs have been lacklustre in recent weeks, and edging past what should have been simple opposition in Dnipro is no great achievement. Many were quick to write Dnipro off as complete fodder, but even so Spurs should be convincingly beating what are only a half decent European side.
In fact if it hadn’t have been a bit of good fortune Spurs may well have been facing the reality of a shock last 32 exit from the competition. In the first leg Dnipro could easily have been a couple of goals ahead, and had Soldado been rightfully sent off in the return we may well have been looking at a different outcome.
People may just say, so what? Spurs got through and that is all that matters.
They’d be right because in the end safe passage is all that matters, but for Sherwood’s side as a whole it clearly doesn’t bode well.
In fact before the sending off last night it didn’t really look like Spurs were going to be able to muster anything apart from a speculative set piece. It was yet another case of lots of talented cogs simply not clicking, players getting in the way of one another and simply not combining effectively. Man for man Spurs should have won that game with ease, but if anything it was Juande Ramos’ Dnipro that looked the more like scoring.
Most worry of all for Spurs fans was Sherwood’s continued inability to influence a match. More preoccupied with the 4th official and a rolling argument about the multi ball system, he seemed oblivious to the tactical inadequacies of his side.
The obvious change was to put another winger on and try to stretch Dnipro. The early exchanges either saw Eriksen plow down the middle or Townsend run into a barrage of defenders down the right.
But the game itself turned on a piece of individual brilliance, and a moment of idiocy from Zozulya and petulance from Vertonghen. Sherwood like so many games before has failed to anything than cheerlead, and if that’s what being a manger is all about I’m sure a lot of us would be quite successful.
Spurs fans have a right to celebrate what was both an impressive and dramatic comeback, but when the dust settles they will probably realise that they got away with one here. But the concern is that Sherwood doesn’t see it like this, and just isn’t learning, speaking after the game he said:
”We’ve come out and done it, won the tie, and we’re looking forward to the next game on Sunday. You’re only as good as your last game. Today we were very good. Last Sunday we weren’t very good”
Spurs were gutsy, but I certainly wouldn’t say they were very good. Hopefully what Sherwood thinks and says to the press are two wholly different things because from my point of view last night showed that very little is being learn by the young manager.
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Next up is Benfica, a true test of Spurs’ European pedigree and one where hopefully the club can go a long way to proving their doubters wrong.
Is it a time for joyous celebration at Spurs or maybe time to just appreciate the fact that they got a bit lucky?
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At the weekend, Phil Jones spoke publicly of his hope that he and Chris Smalling would become Manchester United’s new central defensive partnership from next season onwards. But are the young England pair really ready for the responsibility?
With Nemanja Vidic departing to Inter Milan in the summer and Rio Ferdinand unlikely to be offered a contract beyond the end of the current campaign, David Moyes has a void at the heart of his defence that will need to be addressed. Although United have primarily been linked with midfielders in the rumour mill, a new central defender is also believed to be a priority.
Although Jones would welcome the competition, he believes that Moyes should turn to the young England duo. The former Blackburn Rovers player stated “I’ve played with Chris for three or four years in the England Under-21s and also United, and we have a really good understanding.” Recognising the pair’s relative inexperience, Jones added “we complement each other well and when you look at other central-defender partnerships and how they grow and build, they get better by playing together.” The pair cost United approximately £26 million and Sir Alex Ferguson likely intended for the two to form the club’s new central defensive partnership.
Based on the successful blueprint of Ferdinand and Vidic, Jones and Smalling do seem to possess the required attributes to complement one another. While Jones has proven himself capable of bringing the ball out of defence like the former England captain, Smalling has recently begun to command a greater authority in the air.
But the partnership is not ready yet.
With United floundering domestically, Moyes is not in the position to currently grant the Jones-Smalling partnership the necessary time to develop. As the banner flown over Old Trafford in the recent fixture against Aston Villa, a noticeable proportion of the club’s faithful have grown restless with the “Chosen One”. The Red Devils cannot risk extending their absence from the Champions League which means Moyes has to spend big in the summer.
Jones’ comments also overlook the role of Jonny Evans. A quick search on fan forums reveals a strong debate over which of the three is better right now. Jones may like to partner Smalling but there is no guarantee that either would be first choice, and Moyes may be tempted to rely upon Evans’ greater experience on certain occasions.
The fact that the three of them all have such a poor injury record also needs to be considered. With Moyes unlikely to get a full season out of any of the trio, it would be foolish for him to not replace at least one of Ferdinand and Vidic.
Jones and Smalling may have been purchased with the intention of becoming the club’s central pairing, but up until now the duo have occupied a number of positions. Both have been asked to fill in at full back fairly frequently whilst the former has also adopted a midfield role at times.
Whilst this will prove beneficial for the players’ long term footballing development, it doesn’t aid their immediate case to become Moyes’ first choice pairing. Neither of them have played enough times in the heart of defence to have established themselves as the preferred partnership, especially at a club like United. Some will argue that Jones and Smalling should be played to allow them to learn and improve together and in an ideal world, this would be the best solution. But with the pressure continuing to mount on the manager, the “Chosen One” simply cannot afford the pair the necessary time.
With Patrice Evra potentially leaving too, United could be starved of genuine experience at the back unless Moyes makes a move in the transfer window. Rafael has developed immeasurably but still at times displays a naivety with impetuous challenges whilst Alexander Buttner has only been used sparingly thus far. Whilst Alan Hansen’s infamous “you can’t wing anything with kids” comment will not be repeated here, United will likely require an experienced and commanding presence at the heart of their defence to at least ensure their return to the top four.
David De Gea has improved significantly since joining the club but still does not possess the authority to effectively co-ordinate those in front of him. In Ferdinand and Vidic’s absence, United essentially need to find somebody to lead from the back.
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This is why as well as the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, Moyes has been linked with a number of experienced central defenders. Dante and Mats Hummels may seem unrealistic targets but a player of a similar calibre is required at Old Trafford.
In an ideal world, the partnership of Jones and Smalling would be allowed the time to develop and prove themselves as United’s long term central pairing. But given the club’s current predicament, Moyes cannot afford to rely on them just yet.
The two teams who have already guaranteed their qualifications face each other in a match that will determine who tops Group B and will avoid an encounter against Brazil in the next stages. In a hard fought match, Louis van Gaal’s two substitutions made the difference in the final 20 minutes as the whistle blew with a 2-0 score line in favour of the Dutch. Goals from Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay were enough to award their teams three wins in three games, topping the group.
Memphis Depay confirms victory for the Oranje with his team’ second goal of the game.
Australia 0-3 Spain
Two teams that could do nothing to avoid elimination played out an exciting encounter as the pair gave fans something to cheer about before their World Cup campaign came to a quick end. Spain fielded a much changed team, giving a few of their other members a chance to take part in the tournament. Australia did all they can to hold off the European side, but when the half ended 0-0, the Spaniards began the second interval with intent. Goals from David Villa, Fernando Torres, and Juan Mata rounded off their nation’s final game of the tournament as they look to have restored a bit of pride back to their fans with a 3-0 victory.
Juan Mata capitalized from a great Cesc Fabregas pass to put the ball between the legs of Australia keeper Mathew Ryan.
Cameroon 1-3 Brazil
Brazil faced Cameroon in a match that they needed to win in order to retain top spot in Group A. The African side already being eliminated had nothing but pride to play for but even though they equalized through Joel Matip after a Neymar opener, but it was not enough as the Brazilian star netted his second to make it 2-1. Two more strikes in the second half from Fred and Fernandinho made it a clear cut victory for the host nation as they top the group with a 4-1 victory.
Brazil finished the game with a well constructed team goal as they top Group A.
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Croatia 1-3 Mexico
The match pitted two opponents who both had a chance to take second spot, with Mexico only needing a tie to second their place in the next round. Croatia however, needed nothing less than a win if they were going to guarantee their progress. Despite the score line being 0-0 for most of the match, the game blew up in the final 20 minutes when the Mexicans went 3-0 up in the 72nd, 75th, and 82nd minute thanks to goals from Rafael Marquez, Andres Guardado, and Javier Hernandez. The Croatians tried all they can to get back into the game, grabbing a late goal in the 87th minute through Ivan Perisic, ending the encounter 3-1.
Javier Hernandez takes his chance to score a close ranged header in the final moments to put the game out of doubt.
It looks set to be an incredible weekend of Premier League football, with no less than two local derbies on Saturday afternoon.
The action starts as Everton take on Liverpool in a blockbuster Merseyside clash at lunch-time, and finishes with Tottenham’s visit to Arsenal.
Last season produced two fantastic matches between both Mersey clubs – the Goodison tie ended 3-3, while Liverpool trounced the Toffees 4-0 at Anfield.
The quality of the Premier League is so high these days however that most matches are settled by individual performances.
With that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE key individual battles that could settle Everton’s visit to Liverpool.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON MARIO BALOTELLI TO REVEAL ALL
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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Romelu Lukaku ran riot against Liverpool in last season’s first Merseyside derby, which finished 3-3 at Goodison Park.
And after struggling for fitness at the start of the current campaign, the beastly Belgian striker is back to goal-scoring ways, finding the net in two of his last three Premier League outings, including this strike against Crystal Palace:
Measuring in at 6 foot 3, quick, powerful and composed in front of goal, the 21 year-old, who already boasts 34 Premier League goals, can hurt the Reds in a lot of ways. Liverpool will fancy their chances of stopping him however, having seriously strengthened their backline this summer in the form of £20million signing Dejan Lovren. It’s not been completely smooth sailing for the towering Croatian at Anfield – he’s thus far recorded just one clean sheet in Liverpool colours. His defensive stats this season however, as shown below, are relatively impressive:
And as much as his physicality, Lovren will need to utilise his footballing wits to keep Lukaku quiet. Here’s a look at the Everton star’s highlights from last season: //www.youtube.com/embed/MCtlZe6mbt8?rel=0
MARIO BALOTELLI VS SYLVAIN DISTIN
Daniel Sturridge looks unlikely to start against Everton as he continues to recover from an injury sustained on international duty.
Thus, it appears Liverpool’s goal-scoring hopes will rest firmly on summer signing Mario Balotelli. The enigmatic Italian is yet to get off the mark since returning to the Premier League but he did find the net in the Champions League against Ludogorets, in some style too:
And his ability to conjure up moments of individual magic is well known. Take this wonder-goal during his Serie A days for example:
Balotelli drifts in and out of games but Everton will have to keep their eye on him for the full ninety minutes. Individually, that responsibility will likely go to Sylvain Distin. The Frenchman may be 36 years of age but he’s still quick for a centre-half, offering height and strength too.
That athleticism will be important against Balotelli, a powerful presence at 6 foot 2. But as we all know, stopping the Italy international in his tracks is best achieved by frustrating him and isolating him from the game, which tends to result in rather stroppy tantrums.
STEVEN NAISMITH VS STEVEN GERRARD
Scotland international Steven Naismith has made himself an intrinsic feature of Everton’s attack since the turn of 2014, and shown fantastic form to lead the Toffees’ scoring charts this season, as detailed below:
This strike against Leicester City on the opening day of the season particularly stood out:
Indeed, he’s been prolific going forward but against Liverpool, the 28 year-old’s defensive qualities will be arguably more important. He’ll line up directly against Steven Gerrard in the No.10 role and many of the Reds’ recent opposition have effectively shackled the former England captain, as this Reds fan highlighted on Twitter:
Brendan Rodgers even had to publicly defend Gerrard’s form last week:
Gerrard’s unquestionably Liverpool’s lynchpin as their deepest-lying midfielder. As you can see, he’s made the most key passes of any Reds player this season:
If Naismith can keep the 34 year-old quiet, whilst also contributing going forward, Liverpool will be in for a tough afternoon. If Gerrard is allowed too much room on the ball however, he’ll unquestionably punish the visitors. Here’s a look at his highlights from last season: //www.youtube.com/embed/k-T1bgK3k_4?rel=0
KEVIN MIRALLAS VS ALBERTO MORENO
At the heart of the battle between Kevin Mirallas and Alberto Moreno will be balancing out attack and defence. The Belgium international is another real threat in the Everton front line and after netting eight times last season, has already hit the ground running with two goals in just three Premier League starts. He also bagged this cool finish against Wolfsburg last week:
Mirallas works hard and offers blistering pace, but with right-back Seamus Coleman also bombing forward, he’ll have to make sure Alberto Moreno doesn’t creep into the space behind him or catch him in possession.
A few weeks ago, the Spain international did exactly that against Tottenham, leading to an incredible 117-yard solo goal:
//www.youtube.com/embed/bpeDnukG2OU?rel=0
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He’s strong defensively too however and will fancy his chances of keeping Mirallas quiet. Take this exceptional last-ditch tackle for example:
Here’s a look at the 22 year-old’s stats this term:
That fouling rate will have to come down somewhat – Leighton Baines’ quality from deadball situations verges upon world class.
RAHEEM STERLING VS GARETH BARRY
It remains to be seen where Raheem Sterling will line up in Liverpool’s attack on Saturday. He’s been utilised sporadically out wide by Brendan Rodgers this season but his best performances since the turn of 2014 have undoubtedly come at No.10. It’s likely he’ll be given the central berth against the Toffees too, particularly due to him being in an incredible vein of form, as detailed below:
This goal against West Ham last weekend particularly stood out:
He’ll certainly fancy his chances against Everton’s deepest-lying midfielder, Gareth Barry; the former England international performs a vital service in the Toffees’ midfield but may find himself unable to cope with the pace, agility and trickery of the Liverpool youngster.
The 33 year-old keeps Everton ticking over the middle of the park – as viewable below, he’s averaged an incredible amount of passes already this season:
As well as providing potency and creativity going forward, if Sterling can apply pressure on Barry in possession, there will be fantastic opportunities for the Reds to hit the visitors on the break. Here’s a look at the Anfield star in action: