Revealed: Majority of Liverpool fans want Klopp to stand by Salah

Last season, suggesting that Jurgen Klopp should drop Mohamed Salah from the Liverpool lineup would be ludicrous.

However, the Egyptian international has struggled to match the high standards that he set himself last season.

Salah was the star of the show at Anfield during the 2017-18 campaign as he racked up 44 goals in all competitions.

However, since the new season kicked off the attacker has been slightly off the pace.

In nine matches, the 26-year-old has scored three goals, and while his intelligence on the ball remains the same, his finishing has been poor.

Against Chelsea on Saturday, Salah had numerous chances to hit the back of the net at Stamford Bridge, but he squandered each opportunity.

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That clinical edge in the final third was lacking and it eventually led to him being substituted in the second half.

Given his current form, we asked you if it would be best for Salah to have some time away from the spotlight, but the majority of Liverpool fans believe that Klopp should stand by him.

Liverpool could avenge Raheem Sterling deal by singing Jadon Sancho

The sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City in the 2015 summer transfer window still haunts Liverpool supporters to this day and it’s fair to say his legacy is tarnished beyond repair. 

Transfers between fierce Premier League rivals are uncommon but far from unheard of. The likes of Sol Campbell, Carlos Tevez and Alan Smith have all completed controversial transfers in the Premier League era, but Raheem Sterling’s decision to swap Liverpool for Manchester City isn’t too far behind in terms of the hatred it evoked.

Feelings of resentment which Liverpool supporters hold towards Sterling will inevitably resurface when he returns to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, but the Reds could finally avenge his sale by signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

The 18-year-old winger left Man City for the Bundesliga last summer and his development has caught the eye of Gareth Southgate who called him up for England duty on Thursday.

That Southgate has called Sancho to the senior squad despite the fact he has not started a single Bundesliga fixture yet this season speaks volumes about his ability to impact proceedings from the substitutes bench.

Indeed, Sancho (valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt) has provided 6 assists this season in the league despite starting on the substitutes bench in every one of Dortmund’s fixture – he’s also added two assists in cup competitions, leaving boy wonder Christian Pulisic in his wake in the process with just 1 assist for the USA international in all-competitions

Pulisic has been regarded as the one to watch at Dortmund in the past eighteen months, but Sancho’s rise to fame suggests that he has the potential to blossom into a superior talent.

Sancho’s recent performances will certainly be summoning deep feelings of regret at the Etihad Stadium despite their extensive array of talent, but it would be the ultimate kick in the teeth if the English wonderkid eventually returned to the Premier League in a Liverpool shirt.

With blistering speed, direct dribbling and intricate inter-play at the heart of his game, Sancho represents a perfect heir to Sadio Mane, and if Liverpool are able to secure his signature there’s no doubt that it would be a bitterly disappointing psychological blow for the current Premier League champions.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Grabban revival makes Forest one of the most dangerous teams in the league

It is no coincidence that Nottingham Forest’s ascension up the Championship table has happened at the same time as Lewis Grabban’s resurgence in front of goal. 

After a fantastic loan spell with Aston Villa which almost took them to the Premier League last season, the 30-year-old joined The Reds in the summer, with the hope that he would be able to replicate his heroics.

If is fair to say that the effort was there for the opening months of the season, but the end product was not. If anything, the former Bournemouth striker was guilty of trying too hard in his pursuit to end his goal drought.

However, Grabban has scored five goals in his last five league showings, which has seen Forest climb from 15th in the table to 5th. Manager Aitor Karanka must be commended for keeping his faith in the struggling striker, obviously knowing that he would come good eventually.

The Reds are now unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions. In fact, they have only lost one match all season, and there is only one way the club appear to be going. The club were able to maintain a fairly good place in the league even while they were not playing that well. Now that Grabban has found his scoring touch, it makes Nottingham Forest one of the most dangerous prospects in the league.

With a slight slump from early season leaders Leeds and Middlesbrough, Forest now become one of the form teams in the league alongside West Brom and Sheffield United. If Grabban is getting anywhere near as close to replicating the form of last season, Forest could well become the most feared team in the league.

Tottenham must win the race to sign Nathan Ake after Virgil van Dijk comments

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According to reports in The Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur are tracking £40m-rated Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake ahead of a potential move.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Daily Star report that both Spurs and their Premier League rivals Manchester United are keeping tabs on the highly-rated Dutchman, who has played a huge part in the Cherries’ rise to sixth in the English top flight following a brilliant start to the campaign  for Eddie Howe’s men.

The Daily Star says that Mauricio Pochettino views the 23-year-old as a potential long-term replacement for Toby Alderweireld if he leaves the north London outfit over the course of the next 18 months or so, with the Belgian still refusing to sign a new deal.

The report adds that after paying Chelsea £20m for Ake in the summer of 2017 following a successful loan spell, the south coast club are likely to demand at least double that if they are to consider letting him go.

Would he be a good Tottenham signing?

He certainly would be.

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It is no coincidence that Spurs and United are both tracking a player that used to play for Chelsea, and his performances for the Cherries in recent months prove that he is getting to the stage where he is ready to play for a top Premier League side.

Arguably the best centre-back in the English top-flight – and fellow Dutchman – Virgil van Dijk said back in April of this year that Ake has “so much potential”, and given the quality that he has that is certainly an encouraging comment.

While his potential transfer fee may not be ideal, he is a Tottenham-style signing and one that can go on to star for them alongside Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez should Alderweireld go.

Tottenham monitoring Brentford forward Ollie Watkins

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Tottenham are considering a move for Brentford forward Ollie Watkins to bolster their attacking depth, The Daily Mail reports.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham boast a decent record in the Premier League this season, winning six of their eight matches, but have struggled to transfer that form into the Champions League after suffering back-to-back defeats against Inter Milan and Barcelona.

A lack of depth in the final third has become an issue, with Spurs over-reliant on Harry Kane, and The Daily Mail says this has led Tottenham to closely monitor Brentford’s 22-year-old forward Ollie Watkins ahead of the January window.

Watkins has impressed for the Championship side this season after scoring four goals and contributing two assists in 11 appearances, having netted 11 times in 45 league matches last term.

A good option?

Tottenham know that any striker they sign to compete with Harry Kane will immediately become second-choice at the club and that will not appeal to many players. Therefore, dipping into the Championship is a smart move.

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Watkins, at 22, can develop in Spurs’ squad to become a capable back-up to Kane and could potentially establish himself as the leading man should the England captain be prized away by Real Madrid or Barcelona in the future.

He is also unlikely to be an expensive recruit, which would leave funds available for Pochettino to strengthen other areas of his squad ahead of a tough battle for a top-four finish that lies ahead.

Fenerbahce remain interested in Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo

Argentinean centre-back Marcos Rojo remains a target for Turkish club Fenerbahce, despite the 28-year-old turning down their advances in the summer, according to Fotomac.

What’s the word?

Throughout a pre-season window where Jose Mourinho looked to bring fresh faces into his defensive roster, one old face could have been leaving when Fenerbahce showed interest in Marcos Rojo.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were also keen on signing the former Mourinho favourite after securing their promotion back to the Premier League but like the Yellow Canaries, saw the 28-year-old remain at Manchester United.

The 6 foot 2 centre-half had expressed his desire to fight for a spot at Old Trafford, as told to Ole via Sport Witness, but having returned from injury on September 15, is yet to feature for the first team since his countries World Cup exit to eventual winners France.

Injuries played their part in the situation leading to the Red Devils being open to selling Rojo, having missed a majority of last season with a cruciate ligament rupture leading into fitness concerns.

Why would they let him go?

After no new players in defence were signed, United could be deemed as crazy to let one of their first string defenders leave.

If Mourinho has no faith in the Argentinean anymore, though, his departure would open funds to a replacement more to the Portuguese’s taste.

The same argument also goes towards fellow defender Eric Bailly, who appears to have massively fallen out of favour with the United boss that often opts for the limited talents of Victor Lindelof instead.

Without either one of Rojo or Bailly, the depth chart at the AON Training Complex would be seriously thin with just Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as the first team’s out and out centre-backs alongside Lindelof.

Therefore it would not be crazy to see the likes of Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic selected in the backline after the Spaniard started there against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the season.

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Signing Muniain is exactly the kind of move that can help Liverpool catch Manchester City

In Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool have arguably the most dangerous attack in the Premier League. 

And manager Jurgen Klopp has done well to add to that forward line with the addition of Xherdan Shaqiri over the summer, a player capable of providing adequate cover for the trio.

That being said, to close the gap with Manchester City in terms of squad depth, Klopp could probably do with bringing in another forward, something which could happen in the new year.

The Breakdown

According to Marca (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are looking to add Athletic Bilbao’s Iker Muniain to their squad for free next summer with the Spaniard’s contract set to expire by then.

If there is genuine interest from Liverpool in Muniain, then supporters would likely want to see a deal completed in January rather than in June with the club currently competing with Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Nevertheless, regardless of timing, should Liverpool be able to acquire Muniain, the 25-year-old would be a very shrewd signing — especially on a free transfer.

In La Liga, the Spain international has struggled for consistency at times and has stagnated somewhat considering what was expected of him after making such a huge impact under former manager Marcelo Bielsa.

However, Muniain still has a lot of ability and would be a great alternative to Mane on the left-hand side. The Athletic Bilbao youth product has raw goal-scoring potential that Klopp could unlock to devastating effect for his side.

At the cost of nothing in regards to a transfer fee, a deal for Muniain is one well worth pursuing for Klopp and Liverpool.

Revealed: 89% of Sheffield Wednesday fans want Matt Penney to start vs Norwich

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Sheffield Wednesday host high-flying Norwich on Saturday, and a large majority of the Owls fans that answered our recent poll want manager Jos Luhukay to start Matt Penney after the 3-1 loss to Birmingham last weekend.

Penney is one of the brightest prospects at Wednesday and has made 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season, providing one assist in a 2-1 away victory at Reading. However, Luhukay has limited the youngster, who can play either at left-back or left-midfield, to brief substitute appearances in the last two games.

The Owls have conceded three in both of those games though, and fans clearly feel it is time to bring the 20-year-old back into the defence in place of Morgan Fox.

In fact, 89 per cent of those who voted want Penney to start in the back four as the Owls look to get back to winning ways. Check out the full results of our poll below.

Revealed: Just 56% of Southampton fans want to sign Kemar Roofe

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The Sunday Mirror, reported via HITC, recently claimed that Southampton, Wolves and Crystal Palace are all considering making a move to sign Leeds United’s Kemar Roofe in the January transfer window.

The 25-year-old has been in scintillating form in the Championship so far this season and has already racked up 7 goals from 10 appearances, firing Marcelo Bielsa’s side to the top of the table.

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It is therefore unsurprising that the forward is currently the subject of Premier League interest. Southampton, in particular, would be wise to act upon that interest and bring Roofe to St Mary’s Stadium in January.

The Saints’ season has got off to a poor start and another desperate relegation scrap looks to be on the horizon for Mark Hughes’ side. Their lack of goals is a huge problem, so gambling on an in-form second tier goalscorer such as Roofe would be worthwhile.

However, many Saints fans are unconvinced that Roofe is the answer. Only 56% of those we polled voted in favour of signing the English attacker. See the full results below.

Newcastle fans desperate for Sorensen involvement

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Newcastle United fans have once again called on head coach Rafael Benitez to hand a first-team debut to 19-year-old forward Elias Sorensen.

Sorensen trained with the Newcastle first team ahead of the clash with Bournemouth last weekend, but was not involved against the Cherries despite loud calls from the fans.

Surely it will not be too long before the centre-forward is involved, however, after continuing his excellent scoring form against Grimsby Town on Tuesday night.

Sorensen has been full of goals for Newcastle’s Under-23 outfit this season, and recently netted a brace against Manchester United’s Under-23 side.

The striker will be looking to impress head coach Benitez over the international break, with the view to potentially being involved against Burnley next weekend.

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Sorensen might well have to be patient when it comes to being involved with the first team, but it seems that the majority of the Newcastle fans feel that he is ready right now.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:

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