This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking on “The Last Word with Stan Collymore” podcast, the former Liverpool striker has revealed Newcastle are heading for relegation this season following their abject showing at the weekend.
What did he say?
The Magpies suffered a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side, and reports since the debacle have claimed the players will be holding a meeting to try and sort the situation out.
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However, Collymore has slammed the side for their performance, and insisted they committed the ultimate sin on a football pitch.
He said: “One **** performance, two or three good ones, another diabolical one. That is heading one way and that will be relegation.
“The biggest criticism you can ever make of a football team is that they didn’t try. At Norwich, the narrative was that Newcastle United didn’t try. I’m accusing Newcastle United – their players – of not trying against Leicester City.
“Make no mistake about this if Newcastle had 12 men on the pitch, never mind ten, they could have been 5-0 down.”
Betrayal
To be accused of downing tools, and “not trying” as Collymore alludes to, is perhaps the biggest slight you could make on a footballer’s character. Whether you’re playing Sunday league football with your mates or matching up against the best in a World Cup final, there is no point playing football at anything less than 100%.
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Instead, the Magpies’ display has raised severe questions of whether they’re committed to the cause. Steve Bruce already had a difficult job on his hands in trying to replace Rafa Benitez, but when his players let him down as they did so against Leicester, then he really has no hope.
If they don’t buck up their performances, Newcastle look set for a really rough season indeed. The least the club’s fans deserve is the players trying their best. Anything below that level is unacceptable. On Sunday, the Magpies stooped lower than anyone could have imagined, and if Collymore’s verdict is correct, it is the ultimate betrayal of the fans who dedicate their time and money to the club they love so much.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
The last couple of months have been an absolute rollercoaster for West Brom and it doesn’t look as though things will be slowing down.
After it was confirmed Dwight Gayle wouldn’t return, Albion were always going to have to be in the market for a forward but with Jay Rodriguez now looking as though he’s about to leave too, things have gone from bad to worse after failing to achieve promotion.
The appointment of Slaven Bilic and a new contract for Rekeem Harper had the potential to change the mood but after reports emerged regarding Rodriguez’s possible departure, their plans for the new campaign have taken another setback.
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However, last week, the club were linked with Famara Diedhiou. The Bristol City striker scored 13 goals last term and although that is some way off the 22 Rodriguez netted in 2018/19, it could help to soften the blow.
In short, the forward can give the Baggies a completely new dynamic in attack.
Last season they relied on the more technically-gifted Gayle and Rodriguez, but Diedhiou is a different player.
The Robins striker is a more physical option, possessing phenomenal aerial prowess, standing at 6 foot 2.
Last season, he won a remarkable 5.6 aerial duels per game. To put that into context, Craig Dawson won only 4.3 for West Brom in the Championship last season which was the most of any Albion player.
In terms of their forwards, Rodriguez won the most but that was a measly 1.8 per game compared to Diedhiou’s supreme efforts.
The 26-year-old could significantly improve their ability to compete in the air and they could find themselves scoring more goals from crosses.
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Nine of his 26 goals in the last two seasons have been from headers which provides plenty of evidence of how good he is in those types of situations.
In away games against Nottingham Forest and Preston last campaign, he won 12 aerial duels whilst he won a further 11 in the home fixture against the latter too.
If West Brom have desires of achieving promotion in 2019/20, they may have to take an alternative approach. Landing Diedhiou would certainly give them that and it could be game-changing in the way they attack.
Manchester United fans have been busy on Twitter discussing Nemanja Matic’s comments following the embarrassing 4-0 loss to Everton, and the majority aren’t falling for what he had to say.
The Serbian international said: “I, the most experienced of all of us, did not play well today. We can’t blame the young players, I was the biggest problem for the team today.”
Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…
Whilst his honesty is admirable, the United fans have heard enough from their players in recent weeks and seen little change as a result to be interested in handing out any sympathy.
The Old Trafford faithful aren’t interested in words anymore. They are demanding that their players do their talking out on the pitch, something that not one of them did against Everton during Sunday’s humiliation.
Matic, by his own admission, was amongst the worst performers, constantly switching off and allowing Gylfi Sigurdsson to roam free and do whatever he wanted in the No.10 role – it is no surprise that the Icelandic international scored a goal and got an assist.
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Whilst no other player has had the courage to take responsibility for their abhorrent showing, the United fans on Twitter haven’t been accepting of Matic’s honesty, not one bit…
According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Asmir Begovic’s future looks far from certain heading into the rest of the 2018/19 season. The 31-year-old goalkeeper currently plays his football in the Premier League at Bournemouth having made the move from Chelsea back in 2017, although his recent exclusion from Eddie Howe’s first team has seemingly plunged his future at the South Coast outfit into doubt.
And that’s because a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that there has been a bust-up between Begovic and Howe, thus leaving the former with a deeply uncertain future at the Vitality Stadium.
And that should be news of keen interest to Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, with the time very much now for the Northern Irishman to secure the perfect replacement for Craig Gordon at Parkhead.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, there is no denying just how great a servant 36-year-old Gordon has been to the Bhoys since his move from Sunderland back in 2012, what with the Scotland international since then appearing 236 times for the Scottish giants, keeping 118 clean sheets and shipping only 189 goals in the process.
And with four successive Scottish Premiership titles under his belt, as well as a whole host of other domestic honours, the shot-stopper has very much played his part in a hugely successful time under Rodgers in recent seasons – but there are signs that he could be very much coming to the end of his illustrious career.
And that’s because the goalkeeper has been guilty of a few too many errors in the last 12 months or so to call into question just how much longer he has at the top level – he was extremely fortunate that his error against Red Bull Salzburg back in December didn’t cost Celtic a place in the last-32 of the Europa League, with Rosenborg bailing him out.
And with Scott Bain having started each of the Bhoys’ last five Scottish Premiership matches, one wonders whether Gordon’s career at the top of Scottish football is nearing an end, but there are also question marks about whether Bain has what it takes to usurp the 36-year-old in the long-term.
Yet no such questions marks are had regarding the ability of Bournemouth’s Begovic, who has proven time and again throughout his career to be a hugely adept shot-stopper at Premier League level.
The 31-year-old made a name for himself at Stoke City between 2010 and 2015 in becoming one of the most reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League during that time, appearing 173 times in all for the Potters, and keeping an impressive 50 clean sheets and shipping only 210 goals in the process.
Ultimately, that earned him a move to Chelsea in 2015, and while he was always likely to struggle for regular football at Stamford Bridge, he has since done well upon arrival at Bournemouth, starting all 38 of their matches last term to help Howe’s men finish 12th in the Premier League.
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As such, there is clearly a very accomplished goalkeeper in Begovic, although it does appear as though, for the time being at least, Artur Boruc is the main man between the sticks at the Vitality Stadium – yet a goalkeeper of Begovic’s quality simply shouldn’t be sat on the bench.
And with Gordon’s Celtic career perhaps coming to an end, the time is now for Rodgers to lure the Bosnia and Herzegovina international to Celtic Park.
Celtic missed their chance to go two points clear of Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, having to settle for a 0-0 draw away to top-flight new boys Livingston.
They did however reach the number one position for the first time this season, now leading Craig Levein’s outfit on goal difference, two points ahead of third placed Rangers.
It was a frustrating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers’ side and their supporters, with a number of the top performers during Thursday’s match against RB Leipzig failing to reach the same tempo and commitment as in that win.
One player who did get pass marks from many fans was midfielder Ryan Christie, who again showed passion and desire in the middle of the park.
He’s been a revelation of late, helping the team to wins in three competitions.
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Despite the draw, some found a silver lining in his performance took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Loris Karius’ performance in the last Champions League final will not soon be forgotten. In fact, clips of his two horrendous errors in the match will be wheeled out time and time again for the rest of his career. It doesn’t really matter, in a sense, what Karius does next because he will never fully escape that night in Kiev.
As a man, Karius will move on and be able to put his errors behind him. As a goalkeeper though, it’ll take something very, very special for Karius to usurp that match as the footballing world’s abiding memory of his time between the sticks.
That aside, Karius’ career goes on and he has big decisions to make. The arrival of Alisson at Anfield without doubt marks the end of the 25-year-old’s time as the first choice shot-stopper in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
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The German’s decision to remain with the Reds as the back up option must be questioned. Both the best thing at this stage of his career, and the best thing he can do to move on from that Champions League fixture, is to now move elsewhere for a fresh start. Surely?
Or, in fact, is staying tucked beneath the wing of Klopp the wisest course of action for Karius to take at this juncture? The charismatic manager is renowned for his interpersonal style and the affectionate, paternal relationships he forges with his players. A character such as Klopp, who will protect and nurse Karius through this period, might be exactly the kind of figure the young ‘keeper should be sticking with.
The trials and tribulations of other goalkeepers who have made huge mistakes could provide some sort of guide to Karius at this time.
In 2007, Scott Carson appeared in his first competitive England fixture in a crucial European Championships qualifier against Croatia. Carson, himself on the books at Liverpool at the time, was culpable for one of the Croatians’ goals and England’s defeat saw the Three Lions fail to qualify for the tournament and got boss Steve McClaren the sack.
Carson only appeared twice more for England, both times in friendly matches and both times as a substitute. He never played for Liverpool again either, though he had never been first choice at Anfield. He left Liverpool in the summer following his international howler.
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Carson was able to carve out a decent career as a first choice option at Premier League and Championship level.
In moving on from his club, Carson managed to find his own level and establish himself as a No. 1.
Soccer Football – Champions League Final – Real Madrid v Liverpool – NSC Olympic Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine – May 26, 2018 Liverpool’s Loris Karius is dejected with manager Juergen Klopp after losing the Champions League final REUTERS/Phil Noble
This is a path that Karius should have considered following this summer. As good an influence as Klopp may be, the manager’s priority is the success of his football club, and the young ‘keeper can’t allow his career to stagnate on the subs’ bench.
If Karius had pushed for a move this summer, it’s hard to imagine that the Liverpool hierarchy would have stood in his way. Now though, with no more opportunity for reinforcements to be brought in, and Danny Ward having already left the club, Karius must be retained to provide squad depth.
Getting back to playing regular football quickly would likely have been the smartest move for Karius to make in order to restore his confidence. Wallowing as Alisson’s stand in, even if only for one season, will only serve to reinforce to Karius how far he’s fallen, and will do nothing to restore his reputation.
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Rather than following the guide of Carson’s career path, Karius is setting himself up to repeat the mistakes of Peter Enckelman.
After making a huge goal-conceding error as an Aston Villa player, in the derby against Birmingham City, the Villans decided to upgrade in the goalkeeping department that summer. Enckelman remained at the club for another season, as a back up option. Aside from during a one-month loan spell at Blackburn, he didn’t play a single game.
It was nearly a decade, and three clubs later, before Enckelman made himself a first choice ‘keeper again – with St Johnstone in Scotland.
Following his mistake, Enckelman found himself as a back up option and found the situation almost inescapable. By staying at Liverpool, Karius may have just sealed the same fate for himself.
As reported by The Mirror, Manchester United are set to make drastic changes to their defensive line at the end of the season with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones both potentially being moved on.
What’s the story?
United are again soul searching this week after a damaging defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park, a match in which their defensive frailties again came to the fore.
Fans have been left frustrated with a lacklustre defence this season and it seems Jose Mourinho agrees.
The Mirror report that the Man United boss has told the club to spend big on a defender this summer and that they could make a move for Real Madrid star Raphael Varane, who is rated at £36m by Transfermarkt.
The paper also say that Mourinho is looking to offload defensive pair Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, with any new defender set to directly replace the former.
After spending big on the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, is it time to focus on the Red Devils’ defensive line?
Is improving the defence the key to success?
While it’s true that United have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, in key moments they have been let down by the likes of Chris Smalling, who again made mistakes against Newcastle.
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Now 28 years old, Smalling is no longer a youngster learning the game and should have the experience to be a reliable force at the back for a club like United. If he isn’t that by now, will he ever be?
With lack of depth in the full-back areas too, it’s clear the club need to invest with the same ambition they’ve shown in attacking areas. If they can do that with defenders hand picked by Mourinho, it could be what they need to be taken to the next level.
According to Premium Sport, Juventus have told Arsenal that it will take an offer of £26.8m in order to sign wing-back Juan Cuadrado in this summer’s transfer window.
What’s the story?
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger switched to a three-man central defence in the latter stages of last season, and it has been suggested that the Frenchman could implement that system on a full-time basis in the new campaign.
A specialist formation calls for specialist players, however, and with Carl Jenkinson, Mathieu Debuchy and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all expected to leave the Gunners this summer, Arsenal are lacking in right-sided options.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Arsenal had approached Juventus over a move for Cuadrado, who signed a permanent contract with the Italian champions in May after a loan spell from Chelsea.
It seems strange that Cuadrado could leave Turin just two months after signing a long-term contract, but according to Premium Sport, Juventus would sell if Arsenal came up with a bid of £26.8m.
Is the deal possible?
In theory, yes. However, it remains to be seen whether Cuadrado would be interested in another crack at the Premier League after an unhappy spell with Chelsea.
The 29-year-old moved to Chelsea from Fiorentina in 2015, and he made 14 appearances for the Blues in the second half of the 2014-15 campaign.
The Colombian international lasted just six months at Stamford Bridge, however, and has spent the last two seasons on loan with Juventus, scoring eight times in 85 appearances for the Italian giants.
Arsenal have already broken their transfer record to sign Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon this summer, and the Gunners would not be afraid to spend big once again in the latter stages of the transfer window.
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It is difficult to imagine Cuadrado saying goodbye to Juventus less than three months after signing a three-year contract, but it seems that the Turin outfit would be prepared to sell if they can make a profit on the £17m that they paid Chelsea earlier this summer.
Manchester United’s ‘Galactico’ approach to summer transfers could see them move for Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid. Yahoo have already claimed that a move has been all-but-agreed between the club and the player, while RMC in France have gone as far as to say that the Red Devils are willing to match his £100m (£86m) release clause to get a deal done.
But even Man United don’t have the financial muscle to fund another Paul Pogba-esque transfer without consequences, and the Independent have revealed that those consequences may well be the sale of Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and… Anthony Martial!
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The former duo are understandable potential departures, but letting the Frenchman head away seems a bit short-sighted. It wasn’t long ago the club made him the most expensive teenager in the history of the game to snap him up from Monaco and even though he seems to be a player Jose Mourinho doesn’t truly appreciate, selling could come back to bite the club on the bottom.
Would letting Martial go, even if it is to fund a Griezmann swoop, be a mistake? Tell us what you think…
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The story of the 2015/16 Premier League season has been, indisputably, the miraculous rise of Leicester City.
Many people view it as exactly that – a miracle. But the Foxes’ incredible campaign hasn’t taken place in a vacuum and their shock title bid isn’t completely isolated from the 19 sides accompanying them in the Premier League table. The fortunes of every club are interlinked, whilst every season is affected by its predecessor and goes on to affect its successor.
So the idea that we’re watching a once-in-a-lifetime footballing moment is superficial. It’s time we started to realise what Leicester City’s once inconceivable table-topping feat tells us about an ever-changing Premier League, where the pressure is larger and the diversity of quality is smaller than ever before.
Some have used Leicester’s season as a barometer of whether the level of talent in the Premier League has worsened over the last few years. The failure of English clubs in the Champions League, coupled with two of the last three PFA Player of the Year winners swapping the Premier League for the El Clasico rivalry, certainly adds weight to the argument.
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But once again, I find that analysis a little too simplistic. Just because Leicester are unexpectedly performing above expectations doesn’t mean the Premier League has gotten better or worse. It does show, however, much like the Premier League’s incarnation in 1992, that the balance of power in the top flight is changing and it’s now tougher than ever before.
The first point of interest is Chelsea’s equally unexpected fall from grace this season – not too long ago, people were talking about a dynasty in west London – and to a lesser extent, Liverpool and Manchester United’s. Their struggles this season created a gap at the table’s summit that Leicester suddenly found themselves filling. Credit to Claudio Ranieri’s side for taking advantage, for remaining impervious to pressure and keeping their momentum going.
But this is nothing unusual and we’ve seen similar plights in recent campaigns. When Manchester United plummeted to a seventh-place finish under David Moyes during the 2013/14 season, Liverpool were the club who emerged from the shadows to take their rivals’ habitual spot in the title race. Southampton threatened to the same last term, but fell away in the second half of the campaign.
Compare that to the situation even just a couple of seasons prior, where Chelsea, Man City, Man United and Arsenal filled the top four in consecutive terms, or even to the good old days of the traditional ‘big four’. Back then, it was inconceivable that anybody could encroach upon Chelsea, United, Arsenal & Liverpool’s dominance and it eventually took around £1billion of spending on City’s part to do so.
But now the situation is wholly different and the Premier League’s top clubs are under more pressure than ever. Four, five, six or even eight teams – depending on which pundit you put your faith in most – could realistically win the league and the reporting from the media has only increased in its hyperbole. So when things go wrong at a big club, like they have at Chelsea this season, they go very wrong very quickly.
A few years ago, that perhaps wouldn’t have been the case – at least, not to such extremes. Take 2011/12 for instance, when Chelsea spent nine months floundering under Andre Villas-Boas but still finished in sixth place. But now, a few disappointing results at the start of the season, admittedly combined other factors, has snowballed the Blues’ season into the worst since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.
That’s partly because the quality gap in the Premier League is continually shrinking. It has always been revered as one of the most competitive top flights in world football but is now completely unrivalled in that regard. It’s gone from being a marketing soundbite of the Premier League product to an unquestionable reality.
Leicester play testament to that but once again, it’s no miraculous occurrence. Premier League revenues are only increasing and the transfer budgets of the lesser clubs are now double, triple or even quadruple the amount of their Serie A, La Liga or Bundesliga counterparts. Newcastle United, for example, outspent the entire of the German top flight during the January transfer window.
So all of a sudden, teams like Leicester have the quality to capitalise on any hesitance from the bigger clubs – and it’s not only the Foxes who are doing so. They’re riding the crest of a wave that over the last few years has also included Southampton, Crystal Palace, Watford and Stoke City.
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What do Leicester, therefore, tell us about the Premier League, and what does their title bid suggest will happen in the future? Well, with the top flight about to embark upon a record-breaking £8billion television deal, seasons like Leicester’s could become a common occurrence. Perhaps not every year, perhaps not to the same degree, but nonetheless, it is clear that the balance in the Premier League is shifting in favour of the rank and file.
Could Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho reassert some big club dominance next season on either side of the Manchester rivalry? It’s possible. But in addition to the aforementioned factors, Leicester have helped create an underdog mindset that the rest of the Premier League’s ‘lesser clubs’ won’t be forgetting quickly.