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Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday becomes a more respectable result when more thought is given to it but, to Jurgen Klopp and his players, the stalemate will have been a disappointment.

The Reds had a handful of golden chances to tilt the tie in their favour ahead of the second leg in March but their finishing was uncharacteristically woeful, with Sadio Mane particularly guilty – the Senegalese scuffed wide from six yards out after the ball fell to him in the box.

Unfortunately for the Merseysiders, there is no respite after that tough game – they face bitter rivals Manchester United in the league this weekend and must bounce back from their Champions League setback. How, though, can the Anfield outfit ensure they instantly return to the level of form that has put them at the forefront of this season’s Premier League title race?

Use Henderson to bypass midfield

Jordan Henderson’s passing was extremely impressive on Tuesday night and the England international would have recorded one of the assists of the season had Mohamed Salah managed to get more power on his toe-poke once the Liverpool captain looped an inch-perfect, long ball over the top of Bayern’s defence.

While the 28-year-old might not have Paul Pogba’s power, pace, dribbling skills or haircut, his eye for a pass and industry can be huge assets for the Reds if utilised properly.

Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival at Old Trafford, United fans have become familiar with the sight of Pogba regaining possession in his own half and pinging balls in behind towards an on-rushing Marcus Rashford, whose recent lethality in front of goal has seen the pair strike up a dangerous partnership.

Liverpool have their Rashford in Salah and their Pogba in Henderson. They must look to out-counter their opponents at every opportunity and bypass the midfield.

Play 4-2-3-1

Klopp has strayed away from his favoured 4-3-3 this season, experimenting with a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 – if he wants to put another blot on Solskjaer’s United résumé, he must elect to line his players up in the latter on Sunday.

The formation offers far more defensive security and, if Henderson is to start – which he should after playing so well on Tuesday – he will need some help in the middle. The timely return of Virgil van Dijk from suspension means Fabinho can return to his natural position at the base of midfield and the Brazilian’s bite will be essential if the Reds are to negate Pogba.

Get Daniel Sturridge in the game

If Liverpool gained anything from their draw with Bayern, it would be that they need a top-class striker who can put the ball in the back of the net nine times out of ten as, for all their quality, the front three tend to need a hatful of chances to score – luckily enough, they create as many, but in the big games they will get far less.

Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Sturridge, whether Liverpool fans like it or not, is the most natural finisher at Anfield and Klopp should give the 26-cap international a shot up front – with Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane around him – at some point in the game.

Divock Origi came off the bench against Bayern but perhaps Sturridge should be the man Klopp calls on in Liverpool’s hour of need. He often only needs half a yard to score and against United, that might be all they are afforded at times.

Newcastle United were beaten comfortably by Manchester City on Sunday as Eddie Howe’s team lost 4-0 to the league leaders.

Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling scored the goals for the away side as the Magpies struggled to keep the Cityzens at bay.

The Magpies had a penalty shout in the first half after Ederson swept Ryan Fraser off his feet after Cancelo walked away with the ball, but the referee and VAR did not deem it worthy of a spot-kick.

Forget Clark

Ciaran Clark may receive flak for his mistake in letting the ball go over him for Dias’ header, but another player in the back four was shocking on Sunday – Matt Ritchie.

The Scottish full-back came in for the injured Jamal Lewis and did not do enough to make the Northern Ireland international worry about winning his place back. Ritchie was handed the opportunity to show that he deserves to be the first-choice left-back in the side moving forward and failed to grasp his chance.

Defensively, he was shocking. As per SofaScore, he lost three of his four duels on the pitch as he made just one tackle in his 90 minutes on the pitch. He was also dribbled past a whopping three times, compared to Jacob Murphy’s zero at right-back, which shows that he was far too easily beaten by City players when they had the ball at their feet.

Ritchie also failed to switch on at the back post for the fourth goal as Sterling snuck ahead of him to tap the ball into an empty net from Gabriel Jesus’ low cross. He did not anticipate the danger and proactively look to stop the forward from getting into the six-yard box and this led to him being caught on his heels as the England international found himself with a tap-in.

On the ball, he did very little. As per SofaScore, he lost possession 13 times from 44 touches, whilst he also failed with all five of his attempted crosses. He did not create a single chance from full-back or attempt a dribble, showing that he did not make up for his weak defending with attacking quality.

Therefore, the £44k-per-week liability was shocking as he was poor at both ends of the pitch. Howe will surely be disappointed with his display and may potentially be praying that Lewis is back sooner rather than later in that position.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: NUFC lightweight who lost 80% duels let Howe down badly…

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard provided numerous injury updates on Friday ahead of this afternoon’s game with Burnley.

Gerrard revealed that Ashley Young is ‘50/50’ for the meeting with Sean Dyche’s men, while Keinan Davis, Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi, Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore are all out.

He then shared details regarding surgery for defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, which had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

The 27-year-old injured his knee against Liverpool last weekend and is now facing a minimum of three months out.

Gerrard admitted that the Zimbabwe international, who missed the 2-0 win over Norwich City on Tuesday, could be back in 12 weeks if his recovery is ‘fantastic’, however, it could stretch to four months out if things don’t go to plan.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the multiple injury updates on their official Twitter page. This is what these fans had to say on the update with Nakamba…

“Honestly better than I feared. Really gutted for him missing AFCON and the need for a CDM in January has increased but otherwise, could have been a lot worse.”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“Real shame for Marv. Never seen him play better. Realistically it will be next season before he gets back to that level. So unlucky for him and for us.”

Credit: @stevesanderstax

“Wow we’re actually getting updates on injuries instead of “yeah he’ll be back in a few weeks” and not see the player for 3 months”

Credit: @Callum0715

“Marvelous out until at least March, probably April. Real shame as he was looking very very good.”

Credit: @Lee_Jackson_92

“Such a shame. He was growing so strongly into his role this season. But all the best for a swift recovery, Marvelous – we’ll be waiting for your return with anticipation. Go well.”

Credit: @Andyphilipday

“It feels great having accurate injury news after the absolute waffle Deano used to put out”

Credit: @avfc_jf

In other news: ‘A wind up?’ – Many Villa fans flock to ’embarrassing’ official news. 

An update has emerged regarding interest from Premier League clubs In Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Burnley and Aston Villa are both keen on signing the youngster, although the latter are said to be more likely to make an immediate swoop for his signature.

The report claims that the Black Cats are weighing up offers as they contemplate cashing in on the 20-year-old. No figures have been mentioned regarding the bids or the club’s valuation of Neil.

Season-defining

Lee Johnson must avoid a season-defining disaster with Neil. He cannot afford to let the midfielder leave this month as he is crucial to the Black Cats’ attempts to get themselves out of League One.

Selling him could potentially cost them promotion, a situation that would understandably leave fans gutted. After all, he has been a crucial member of the team so far this season, with Sunderland second in the table as it stands.

Only Ross Stewart (27) has started more league games than Neil (25) for the Black Cats this season, while the latter also has more assists (seven) than any other player, which highlights his importance to the side. The youngster is a regular for the Wearsiders and is repaying the manager’s faith by delivering consistent performances, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.95.

Earlier in the campaign, Johnson said of Neil: “He’s technically a very good player, you can see the way he manipulates the ball, and I think he has added another dimension to his game in being able to drop and drive, as we call it, and receive the ball and commit players.

“He’s got that lovely dribbling technique, a little bit like a young Paul Gascoigne almost in the way he sort of hops and drags it at the same time which, as a defender, makes it very difficult to commit because as soon as you do, he’s got the ability to skip by you.

“I do expect to see a couple of slalom-type goals from him this season.”

These quotes illustrate how impressive the £1.4k-per-week gem has been for Sunderland and why selling him would represent a major blunder by the club. It could be a season-defining disaster if they cash in on him now, as they would lose his consistently brilliant presence in the middle of the park. That could lead to them struggling without his creativity on the ball and regularity of assists, which may have the knock-on effect of them missing out on promotion from League One yet again.

Therefore, Johnson must do everything in his power to keep hold of the Black Cats academy product until at least the end of the campaign.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Doyle: Johnson can seal dream Sunderland partnership with “brilliant” monster…

West Ham United manager David Moyes must finally start Alex Kral in the FA Cup fourth round clash against Kidderminster this weekend.

What’s the story?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game on Saturday, Moyes said: “Alex’s been a bit unfortunate not to feature, but he had a period where he missed out a little bit with [the virus] in a period with more games. I would like to give him an opportunity to see what he can do.”

He could bully Kidderminster

Since joining West Ham last summer, the 23-year-old has been nothing more than a bit-part player for Moyes, making just five appearances across all competitions, with the caveat that he has only featured for 210 minutes in those outings.

Given the manager’s comments on the midfielder, though, it might finally be the time to actually see what he can do, starting with this Saturday.

Kral is also a player who Moyes has seemingly scouted in depth, having named him in his ‘ones to watch’ in The Times for Euro 2020.

He wrote: “He is likely to start in the Czech midfield alongside Tomas Soucek and is similar in stature to Tomas, though plays in a slightly different style. He is good on the ball and looks to protect his defence and appears to have, like Tomas and Vladimir Coufal, great mentality and bags of energy.”

The 6 foot 1 powerhouse ended the campaign in Russia last season with Spartak Moscow averaging an impressive 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and a team-high 56 passes per game, via WhoScored – a real indication of the kind of dynamism that he can bring to the midfield engine room.

A tie against Kidderminster, who are currently in the National League, may be the perfect platform for Kral to get some vital minutes under his belt, as well as some welcome confidence by dominating the game in midfield.

The £7.2m-rated machine could be the man to bully Kidderminster on Saturday.

Meanwhile, West Ham are interested in this star with “cold-blood”…

Marcelo Bielsa would ‘welcome’ the return of Ronaldo Vieira to Leeds United in the January transfer window, according to a new report which has emerged this week.

The Lowdown: Vieira profiled

The 23-year-old enjoyed a good spell with the Whites during their Championship days, making 71 appearances overall, including 34 league matches in the 2016/17 campaign.

Vieira eventually joined Sampdoria but things haven’t quite worked out for him there, having been shipped out on loan to Verona last season.

It now looks as though the midfielder could leave the club after not playing since last March because of injury, with Leeds linked with re-signing him.

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The Latest: Return on the cards?

According to ClubDoria46 [via Sport Witness], Vieira’s current woes at Sampdoria could ‘push him towards a homecoming’ at Elland Road, with it claimed that Bielsa is personally keen and ‘would gladly welcome him’ back to the club.

The former three-time capped England Under-21 international’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, so Sampdoria are running out of time to receive a fee for him.

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The Verdict: Nandez alternative?

Leeds are badly in need of midfield reinforcements this month, and given Vieira’s apparent availability, bringing him back could be a shrewd decision.

Granted, his long injury absence is not ideal but he knows the club well and has shown he can perform in Serie A, making 45 appearances in Italy’s top league.

Vieira won an average of 2.0 aerial duels and 1.3 tackles per game at Verona last season, highlighting the defensive expertise he could bring in front of Leeds’ back-line.

Ideally, Vieira would be one of two central midfielders to come in, with a more experienced figure such as Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez also needed to make up for the loss of Kalvin Phillips to injury, but perhaps the former could be a cheaper option than Nandez given his lack of playing time and contract situation.

In other news, another player has been backed to join Leeds in January. Find out who it is here.

Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo and Raul Jimenez were all deemed to have struggled in Wolves’ heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.

Bruno Lage’s side were so close to earning a third 0-0 draw in a row in the Premier League on Saturday, but ended up leaving Molineux with nothing.

Divock Origi’s stoppage-time winner sent Liverpool into raptures, as all of Wanderers’ admirable defensive work was undone.

According to Sofascore, these were Wolves’ three poorest performers on the day, out of players who were on the pitch for at least 45 minutes.

Jose Sa – 6.6

Sa has made an impressive start to life at Molineux and he was looking for another clean sheet in the league. It looked as though that would be the case until Origi squeezed a last-gasp finish past him.

Only 43% of the Portuguese’s passes were accurate ones against the Reds – 12 out of 28 – which arguably played a part in Liverpool dominating possession so much.

Sa also made one error that led to a shot and only played four out of 20 accurate long balls.

Nelson Semedo – 6.2

Semedo was given his usual right wing-back role on Saturday but he failed to have a big enough impact on proceedings.

The 28-year-old was given a tough afternoon by the likes of Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane, winning just two out of eight ground duels.

In an attacking sense, Semedo didn’t play a key pass throughout the game and lost possession a whopping 21 times (the most of any player), while defensively, he failed to make a single tackle.

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Raul Jimenez – 6.3

Jimenez led the line against Jurgen Klopp’s side but had very little luck against Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, as Liverpool saw most of the ball.

The Mexican didn’t manage a single successful dribble, failing with his two attempted ones, and managed no shots at all.

Jimenez also lost possession 17 times overall, won two of his nine ground duels and no aerial duels out of three, on a forgettable afternoon for him.

In other news, some Wolves fans are fuming over a rumoured January plan. Read more here.

Tottenham are preparing a £32m offer for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, and, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Luiz has just 18 months remaining on his Villa Park contract and has recently been linked with a move to Arsenal. However, it seems as if their rivals, Spurs, are now looking at the Brazilian with the deadline fast approaching.

According to The Daily Mail, there is a sense of panic around Tottenham after missing out on numerous targets, with the club now preparing a £32m bid for Luiz.

They add that Spurs look set to fail with their pursuit of the central midfielder too though, who Steven Gerrard is keen to keep.

Reports prior to this update suggested that Villa were set to open talks over a new contract for Luiz, and Tottenham’s interest may well speed up that process.

Villa fans react

@villareport relayed The Daily Mail’s claim regarding Luiz on Twitter. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with reaction mixed over a possible exit.

“Jesus Christ I’d be happy if we got £15 million for him let alone £32 million. Take the money and buy someone better for half the price”

Credit: @NooneAVFC

“Please no. £45 million at least!”

Credit: @AstonVilla_info

“SELL HIM OH MY DAYS £32M”

Credit: @JPackers12

“Are you joking?”

Credit: @LeoAVFC82

“Laughable”

Credit: @DL1992_

“This would really liven things up.”

Credit: @avfcdiggy

In other news: Villa now keen on ‘special’ centre-back after Calum Chambers; he can also play in midfield. 

Leeds United have been dealt a setback in their bid to bring Calvin Ramsay to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent Alan Nixon report for The Sun, in which the journalist claims that Liverpool have now entered the race for the Aberdeen right-back, with the Reds’ scouts believed to have been highly impressed with the 18-year-old defender – who they believe is a talent in the same mould as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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This is likely to come as a blow to Victor Orta and Leeds, with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reporting earlier this year that the Whites were thought to be leading the race to land the Scotland U21 international.

Orta must move

Considering just how impressive Ramsay has been for Aberdeen this season, it is easy to see why both Leeds and Liverpool would be interested in a deal to bring the defender to the Premier League this summer.

Indeed, over his 22 Scottish Premiership appearances in the current campaign, the £540k-rated prodigy has been in sensational form for Jim Goodwin’s side, scoring one goal, registering five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of two key passes – the joint fifth-most in the league – and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

The £880-per-week starlet has also impressed in a defensive capacity, helping the Dons keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 1.4 clearances and winning 3.5 duels per game.

These returns have seen the teenager average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Aberdeen’s joint sixth-best player in the Scottish top flight.

This incredible level of performance has rather understandably seen the 18-year-old showered with a great deal of praise, none more so than from Dons chairman Dave Cormack, who said of Ramsay back in January:

“There are not many right-backs at his age like him, doing what he does. Look at the data and all the clubs look at the same scouting systems. He is in the elite upper bracket, right up there, for a young right-back in Europe. People are seeing that and that is why we believe there will be a lot of interest.”

As such, considering the sheer amount of potential the teenager possesses – not to mention his similar creative traits to that of the £100m-rated Alexander-Arnold – it would appear a very wise move for Orta to do all he can to bring the right-back to Elland Road this summer.

However, following the news of Liverpool’s interest, a deal now looks as if it will be much more difficult to pull off for the Spanish sporting director.

AND in other news: Orta can unearth Leeds’ next White with swoop for “really exciting” £4.2k-p/w “talent”

Keith Jackson has now dropped some big financial news involving Glasgow Rangers as it appears their Old Firm woes are not yet finished.

The Lowdown: Sydney Super Cup exit

The Ibrox faithful confirmed their withdrawal from the Sydney Super Cup earlier this week, claiming that the organisers of the tournament were ‘unwilling to fulfil their commitments’.

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There was a lot of backlash against their participation in the first place, given the links to Celtic’s Australian manager Ange Postecoglou, as the country was set to host an Old Firm friendly.

Some supporters of the Teddy Bears were even seen throwing tennis balls onto the pitch in March’s trip to Dundee in further protest.

The Latest: Potential fine

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Record, Scottish football journalist Jackson has revealed that the Light Blues could now be hit with a £5m bill for breach of contract after pulling out of the tournament.

They have blamed event giants TEG Live for the dispute, and it is understood that this centres around a perceived reluctance to package the friendly as an ‘Old Firm’ game.

However, this has been angrily denied by Australian sources, who claim that commercial director James Bisgrove gave his personal approval to an initial launch at the start of March, where the ‘Old Firm’ slogan was not used.

The Verdict: Another Old Firm blow…

If the Gers were to fined as much as £5m, added to the money that they would have already lost by exiting the Cup, it would be a big blow ahead of the new season.

They are now far from guaranteed to win the title over rivals Celtic, and could still exit the UEFA Europa League, which would leave them with few positives in the financial department due to the absence of Champions League football next season.

There are also a few first-team players out of contract in the summer, which they may need the money for in order to renew their deals, let alone adding new signings.

Exiting the tournament was perhaps still the right thing to do given the backlash, but it now appears Sunday’s defeat isn’t the only hit the Gers will take this weekend.

In other news, find out who is now ‘in talks’ with this RFC ace ahead of a potential move here!