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[ad_pod ]Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich visited for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash, with many players guilty of poor decision making and missing clear cut chances in front of goal.However, there was a different kind of wastefulness on the minds of Reds fans who were perplexed as to why Jurgen Klopp made the substitutions he did when the game was surely theirs for the taking.It seemed the game was crying out for something different, a new source of impetus, and Klopp had exactly that sat on the bench in Xherdan Shaqiri.Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…Instead, though, the former Borussia Dortmund boss opted to bring on James Milner and Divock Origi – substitutions which surely were intended to calm down the game a little rather than take it to the opposition in the final ten minutes.Here’s what the Reds faithful had to say on Twitter…

Liverpool have taken 18 points out of 18 points from their Champions League group, and as of Tuesday evening Jurgen Klopp’s side have set a new record in Champions League history.

The Reds are the only English side to win every single group stage game in the Champions League since it began back in 1992, after beating AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro, in their final group stage fixture of the tournament.

One player that has been integral to the record breaking success they’ve had in Europe so far is Divock Origi.

Despite being transfer listed by the club this summer, Origi has come back into his own this season and seems to be on a mission to prove everybody wrong.

Liverpool made a number of changes to their side on Tuesday evening, rotating in the likes of Nathaniel Phillips who made his 2021/22 season debut tonight and teenager, Tyler Morton into the side, for a game that meant very little for the travelling team, as they had already qualified in their fourth game of the group over a month ago.

AC Milan did start the game well, with the home side taking the lead early into the first half with Fikayo Tomori netting in the 29th minute of the game at the San Siro, but they could not hold back from the inevitable Mo Salah, who scored his 20th goal of the campaign in 21 games.

Origi went on to kill the game with a 55th-minute winner, proving in 43 touches exactly why he’s still in the squad, securing Liverpool their sixth win in a row and heading back to the North West taking every single point possible.

The goal-scoring gem has been making an impact in all of his performances so far for the club this season, with five goals and two assists in just ten appearances, and cements even further the reason Klopp referred to him as a “legend” in his post-match press conference last weekend.

The German tactician told the media; ‘He’s an incredible striker, for different reasons he did not play that often but I hope one day he finds a manager that plays him more than I do.”

‘He’s one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen in my life.”

With the January transfer window imminent, it will be curious to see if Klopp and FSG are still interested in taking offers for the striker after speculation Newcastle are interested in signing him in the new year, or if they plan to keep the frontman in the squad and continue to utilise his goal-scoring habits in the second half of the season.

Salah has been the club’s go-to man this season but it’s time to forget about him for a moment because there’s another man in town making plenty of headlines himself; a certain Mr Origi.

In other news: Liverpool must secure new deal for Joe Gomez

Crystal Palace could be set to secure a bargain deal in the upcoming January transfer window after being linked with a move for Derby County midfielder Jason Knight.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World, the Eagles are one of several Premier League teams interested in securing the highly-rated 20-year-old’s signature, with seven other top-flight sides listed as potential suitors.

The report states that: “Knight has emerged as a target for a host of Premier League clubs, with FLW sources indicating that Everton, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Leeds, Burnley, and Newcastle are all keen.”

It then goes on to state that West Ham United have recently entered the race for Knight’s signature, sparking an intriguing battle for the youngster over the coming months.

Crystal Palace can seal bargain deal

With Derby currently in financial turmoil, it’s highly likely that Palace could seal a bargain deal for the £5.4m-rated maestro if they can convince him to move to south London.

The Rams’ administrators revealed on Friday that they’re hoping to have completed the sale of the club by late January, though they’ve refused to rule out selling some of the most talented stars in Wayne Rooney’s first-team squad over the winter window.

And that raises the prospect of Knight departing Pride Park in January, with the Ireland international one of Derby’s most promising prospects.

After making his senior debut back in 2019, the 5 foot 6 dynamo has gone to score 11 goals and provide three assists in 94 appearances for the Midlands outfit, firmly establishing himself in the starting XI.

Knight made an immediate impression on now manager Wayne Rooney following his arrival on a player-coach basis, and the Manchester United legend singled him out as a promising youngster who has a big future ahead.

“I’ve been really impressed with the way they’ve trained, particularly Knighty,” revealed Rooney. “His energy, his attitude. He almost reminds me of myself when I was younger in terms of no fear.

“And he’s got an aggression about him, not in terms of how he’s tackling, but in terms of how he runs, how he gets about the pitch. I’m looking forward to seeing how they do as I feel he can give us a lot of energy and a lot of creativity.”

Former Arsenal and Ireland star Liam Brady is also one of Knight’s many admirers, labelling him “intelligent” following a mature display at international level.

As a result, Steve Parish and co. must do all they can to snap up Knight’s services ahead of the extensive competition, providing Patrick Vieira with the tools he needs to continue the ongoing revolution at Palace.

The Eagles manager has cultivated a reputation for luring young talents to Selhurst Park already and the Derby gem simply has to become part of Vieira’s ongoing project.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Zaha: CPFC must form scary duo with move for “phenomenal” £14k-p/w gem

Newcastle United have made contact with Zenit St Petersburg over their striker Sardar Azmoun, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

The Magpies could have as much as £100m to spend this month as they look to assemble a squad capable of avoiding Premier League relegation.

They kicked off the month with a defensive addition in the form of Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier, but there are also issues to address at the other end of the pitch, with top scorer Callum Wilson facing eight weeks out with a calf injury.

The latest

According to The Daily Mail, Eddie Howe wants to sign two strikers this month, and while Alexander Isak would be ‘ideal’, that deal may not be realistic at this stage, so Newcastle have other targets in mind.

One of those is Azmoun, and the Magpies ‘have spoken to’ Zenit about a possible deal, sounding out the likelihood of a £5m offer being accepted. Marseille’s Bamba Dieng is also an option, but he could cost three times as much.

The verdict

Would Azmoun be a good signing for Newcastle?

First and foremost, he’s prolific goalscorer, bagging 62 in 104 appearances for Zenit (10 this season), and 39 in 60 caps for Iran. It’s worth noting, though, that the Russian top-flight is only the 10th best league in Europe according to the UEFA coefficient, so the key question is whether that record is transferrable to the Premier League.

Nonetheless, the 27-year-old boasts a decent record in European competition too, with 13 in 35 appearances at that level (one goal every 2.7 games). He found the net against Juventus in this season’s Champions League group stage, and journalist Zach Lowy said that the Iranian had Andreas Christensen ‘in a chokehold’ when he faced Chelsea a month ago.

Azmoun is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt but with just six months remaining on his contract, there’s huge bargain potential here for Newcastle if they can make progress on a potential £5m move.

In other news, Chris Waugh was ‘surprised’ by this NUFC transfer update

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be excited by Fabrizio Romano’s latest claim as we head into the final few days of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are yet to conduct any form of business this month but plenty of incomings and outgoings have been mooted in the press.

It’s the first window of opportunity for manager Antonio Conte to bolster the playing squad since he was appointed as Nuno Santo’s successor back in November.

And despite a lack of confirmed movement, the Italian transfer expert is expecting it to be a busy end to the window for the Lilywhites.

“I expect Tottenham Hotspur to make two or three signings before the end of the window,” he told blogger Matt Hayes on YouTube. He also claimed that Adama Traore remained a key target but the club are not prepared to pay Wolves’ €25m (£20.8m) asking price.

Encouraging news

Time is certainly running out if Spurs are going to bring in anyone, let alone two or three new players, though it’s believed Conte has asked to strengthen three priority positions.

As per football.london, that’s a new wing-back, a new left-sided centre-back and a backup striker but with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli all linked with departures, per Sky Sports,  a central midfielder could quickly become a key area to target.

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Aside from Traore, the north Londoners have also been mooted with an exciting move for FC Porto sensation Luis Diaz, who is an out-and-out left winger by trade, and Fiorentina outcast Sofyan Amrabat, who is excelling at the Africa Cup of Nations in midfield for Morocco.

So if there is going to be three additions by Monday night, you’d imagine that the trio of players mentioned above are the most likely candidates to meet Romano’s claim.

Spurs had been unbeaten in the Premier League under Conte until last weekend’s defeat to his former club Chelsea, who have now beaten the Lilywhites three times this month and whilst the side are firmly in the race for the top-four, those losses highlighted a huge gulf in quality on the pitch.

The Italian head coach must be backed financially if he’s to stand a chance at reviving this sinking ship in N17 and three new additions would be a great start ahead of the summer.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Spurs hierarchy can pull anything out of the bag over the coming days but if you’re a Lilywhites supporter, then Romano’s update should leave you very excited.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt late January transfer blow over “devastating” target, Conte will be livid…

An update has emerged on winger Albert Gudmundsson, regarding interest from Glasgow giants Rangers in bringing him to Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, the Gers are eyeing up a pre-contract swoop for the forward, whose deal at AZ Alkmaar expires at the end of the season.

The report claims that Celtic are also interested in signing him and the two Old Firm clubs are set to battle it out for his signature on a free transfer next month.

Bye-bye Kent

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could land a dream replacement for Ryan Kent by securing a deal to sign Gudmundsson in January. The former Liverpool man has been touted with both Aston Villa and Leeds ahead of the January window and that leaves the door open to the possibility of him departing from Ibrox in 2022.

This would leave a huge gap in the Rangers XI out wide as the forward has been a key figure for the club in recent years, with his ability to score and create goals for the club.

Last season, Kent produced ten strikes and nine assists in the Premiership as Rangers won the title, highlighting his influence and quality in the final third as he regularly chipped in with vital contributions. In the current campaign, he has two goals and one assist in 11 matches but his average SofaScore rating of 7.05 suggests that he is still putting in impressive performances on a consistent basis.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, the Iceland international has produced 11 goals and five assists in the Eredivisie in 37 starts. This is compared to Kent’s 12 goals and ten assists in 47 Premiership starts over the same time period, suggesting that there is little between the two players in terms of end product – although it is difficult to make a direct comparison between the quality of Scottish and Dutch football.

Gudmundsson, who has 86 goals for club and country at youth and senior level, has shown that he can handle playing top-level football in the Netherlands and he may want to test his outstanding qualities in a new league. Outlining his best attributes, Max Huiberts said when he first signed for AZ:

“Albert is a creative, technically skilled and fast player who has proven that he can play in different positions in the attack,” the director said.

If he can carry over his form from his time at AZ Alkmaar then he could be a dream replacement for Kent and be van Bronckhorst’s new wing wizard, all whilst costing absolutely nothing next summer.

This is why the Dutch head coach must ensure that he can beat Celtic to the signing of the 24-year-old, whether that is as part of a pre-contract deal to bring him in for nothing or by offering Alkmaar a cut-price offer to take him off their hands in January.

AND in other news, Gvb heading for his first big disaster at Ibrox, it may be season-defining for Rangers…

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is reportedly a big admirer of Reading midfielder John Swift, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

What’s the story?

According to the well-respected journalist, the Whites’ enigmatic boss has been keeping close tabs on the 26-year-old for some time ahead of a possible move in the upcoming January transfer window.

“Bielsa has liked Swift for a while,” Hay wrote in a match discussion Q&A on The Athletic. “It’s a difficult question because deep down you question whether Swift improves Leeds long term, but they’re not going to be able to spend big next month, and maybe some pragmatism is a good idea.”

Swift’s current contract at the Madejski Stadium is set to expire next summer, and with the Royals hovering above the Championship relegation zone, an imminent exit could be on the cards.

Leeds fans will be buzzing

The attack-minded midfielder has been linked with several top-flight clubs in recent weeks as he approaches the end of his deal with Reading, and his agent previously addressed the speculation surrounding Swift’s potential move to Leeds.

“There’s been a lot of speculation in the media about different Premiership clubs being interested in John,” he said. “At the moment, his sole focus is on playing for Reading and doing the best he can with them.

“Leeds United is a great club and their style of play, manager, and fans would be good for John moving forward in his career. However, no formal approaches have been made that we are aware of by Leeds to Reading at this stage.”

When taking a closer look at Swift’s credentials, it’s little surprise to see the former England under-21 international edging back towards the Premier League.

Following a 2-1 win over Preston North End back in August, Royals manager Veljko Paunovic called his talisman “super talented”, and it’s hard to argue with the 44-year-old’s assessment.

Since arriving at Reading, Swift has become one of the Championship’s star performers, bagging 31 goals and laying on a further 34 assists in 184 appearances.

He has elevated his game to new heights this term. In 20 outings for Paunovic’s charges, the £25k-per-week dynamo has notched eight goals and provided nine assists, highlighting his top-class potential.

Therefore, a large section of Leeds fans will surely be delighted at Hay’s latest revelation, and Swift could provide the spark needed to fire the Whites to safety.

In other news… “Unbelievable” Leeds star who lost possession 21 times was Bielsa’s weak link v Brighton 

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he knows as West Ham United eye a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

As first reported by Sky Sports, West Ham have been in talks to sign the Brazil international and even tabled a loan bid with the option to make his move permanent for €30m (£25m).

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Barbosa is believed to be keen on a move to England and the Premier League amid David Moyes’ search for a centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio.

New recruitment chief Rob Newman and the east London club are still yet to bring in a signing for that position as the January transfer window enters its final week, with Brown now sharing an update on their bid to sign Barbosa.

The Latest: West Ham move ‘on the table’…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, citing ‘lots of little leaks’, he claims that a move for the 25-year-old is still ‘on the table’, believing it is due to the fact we don’t actually know what Barbosa wants himself.

“The only reason that one is still on the table is we don’t really know what the player himself wants,” Brown stated.

“There’s been lots of little leaks here and there that he really wants to come to the Premier League and that he really wants to come now and he likes West Ham and the way they play, and thinks he could be a really good fit there. But we haven’t really heard any of that from him.”

The Verdict: Time to step up bid?

Amid this uncertainty surrounding Barbosa’s future in South America and the reports indicating he wants a move to Europe, we believe West Ham need to either step up their pursuit or swiftly move on to other targets.

The January window has just over a week remaining and Moyes needs to address the centre-forward position as soon as possible, especially given Antonio’s history of injury problems and their real lack of natural alternatives.

Having scored 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, Barbosa is proven in front of goal and still at a fairly young age as he comes with the potential for sell-on value. Given his torrid spell at Inter Milan, though, you can understand why the Irons haven’t yet lodged an outright permanent bid and are more interested in a loan with the option to buy.

However, now is the time to make a final decision on whether to continue pushing for his arrival as we enter a crucial period of the transfer window.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Sky journalist makes live TV transfer claim involving West Ham and 28 y/o ‘beast’, find out more here.

Kalvin Phillips won’t be joining one of Leeds United’s biggest rivals this summer – for now…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who delivered a 12-word update on his future at Elland Road amid reports linking him with a move away in the off-season.

The England international has been linked to several Premier League teams in recent weeks and months, ranging from Liverpool and Manchester United, to Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claimed earlier this week that the Red Devils were working on a deal to sign the xx-year-old as a new defensive midfielder would be a priority under likely incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

However, Nixon has thrown cold water on those reports, suggesting that isn’t the case, at the moment.

“Manchester United DON’T have Kalvin Phillips on their wish list for now,” he told followers of his Patreon site.

Good news

Ultimately, this is a huge source of encouragement for anyone associated with Leeds, and not just because it’s the Old Trafford outfit being ruled out of a move.

Phillips is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most integral players, even post-Marcelo Bielsa, and whilst he is yet to start for manager Jesse Marsch since returning from injury, he will surely play a key role going forward.

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“I said it after the match that both [Phillips and Liam Cooper] will have a big effect on our group both on the pitch and off,” the American told reporters (via the Yorkshire Evening Post) after his comeback cameo against Southampton. He then added:

“And then to have Kalvin on the pitch, I think everybody saw that it brought poise to our group, that he helped settle the game down. I heard him say after the game that he didn’t do much but, just by being on the pitch for us, I think that that presence meant a lot.”

Also dubbed a “wonderful talent” by ex-Leeds man Michael Brown, there isn’t a player in the current squad that possesses the same skillset as Phillips – defensively a rock, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and he often starts many an attack, averaging 3.1 long balls and an 82.6% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Losing a player of that calibre, not just to any top-flight team, but an arch-rival rival like the Red Devils would be a bitter blow, following in the footsteps of Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand, whose reputation in west Yorkshire plummeted.

Nixon’s update will delight many around Elland Road, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Signed for £5m, now worth 740% more: Leeds struck gold with £42m-rated “rare talent”…

Manchester United have been taking the opportunity to step up their pursuit for their next manager during the international break, with Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag the two standout favourites for the position, although another name has been thrown into the ring for the job.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT yesterday afternoon, former England striker Darren Bent has given his opinion on who United should be targeting for the challenging job at Old Trafford, with Roberto Mancini named by the ex-Tottenham marksman.

Bent told listeners of the Italian: “He is a winner. He is someone who has won the Premier League, so he has the experience.”

“I think he is better than Ten Hag, and certainly Mauricio Pochettino. He has proved he can do it in this country; I think that is vital. He has got the Premier League experience – I know he ended up leaving, but then he won a massive trophy with Italy in the Euros, so you cannot question his pedigree in winning things.”

Ten Hag alternative

Despite his allegiances to Manchester City, and his infamous spoiling of a seemingly nailed-on Premier League title win for United as Sergio Aguero scored in the 94th minute on the final day against QPR to steal the crown in 2012, duly leaving Sir Alex Ferguson furious, there seems little doubt that Mancini would improve the current situation at Old Trafford.

The Italy coach took his nation to victory against England in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley but has since crashed out of the World Cup in the qualifiers and will not attend the finals in Qatar this winter after the shock defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday night. With that in mind, it could be the ideal time for the 57-year-old to move on and seek a new challenge back in club football.

Given Mancini’s spell at the Etihad Stadium, it could split United supporters and would likely be a controversial appointment. However, with his winning mentality and ability to inspire victory by winning 14 trophies in his managerial career so far – including a Premier League title, FA Cup and two Serie A titles – he is not an option at whom United should be turning up their noses.

With a decision expected to be made soon, the powerbrokers at Old Trafford must make a decision which will take the club back to the heights of winning trophies and competing in the Champions League regularly amid the longest trophy drought at the club in 40 years, and there is no doubt that Mancini has the CV and experience to get United back on their perch.

In other news: Man Utd suffer major Ten Hag setback which will have supporters worried