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Should Liverpool go on to win the Premier League this season, it will be interesting to see quite how this title bid comes to be remembered.

History always has a knack of recalling things slightly differently; sometimes that is due to the benefits of hindsight, retrospect and new information, but often its our ingrained desire for simplified, romantic narratives taking precedent over the accuracy of the nitty gritty. Constant inconsistencies and permutations are just too inconvenient to digest and retell. It’s much easier to shape events and themes around basic stories we can all follow.

So there’s every chance this Liverpool team will come to be misremembered, because of our preconceptions of Klopp’s side going into this season. The Reds didn’t quite match Manchester City for goals last term but going forward – and especially in the Champions League – they were decisively rampant. Mohamed Salah set a new record for Premier League goals in a single season, Sadio Mane netted 20 times and Roberto Firmino seemed to be redefining the role of a centre-forward in a modern 4-3-3.

That’s how we like to think about this Liverpool side – an unrelenting attacking force spearheaded by a world-class front three, perhaps the best front three around in terms of quality and compatibility. But Liverpool’s season hasn’t been built around the supreme performances of their forwards; vast improvements at the other end of the pitch have taken them to the table’s summit with only 11 games left to go.

Klopp would argue that his teams defend from the front, and that Firmino particularly is as important out of possession as any of his centre-halves. But the numbers are telling – by this point last season, Liverpool had scored six more goals in the Premier League, and across all competitions the front three had netted 65 times. This term, their combined tally is just 44 (stats worked out via various pages on Transfermarkt).

Sunday’s Northwest derby seemed to capture the rebalancing of which players Liverpool are suddenly so dependent on in a microcosm. Manchester United – albeit a Manchester United drastically depleted by injuries within the first half an hour – could barely get past the industrious Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in midfield to test the back four. But at the other end of the pitch, the front three that were so fearsome last season couldn’t find a moment of individual brilliance between them.

Of course, there are important caveats. Firmino withdrew through injury early on, so this was by no means Liverpool’s attack at its best. Likewise, due to the gravity of the situation, Klopp picked his sturdiest midfield, which somewhat limited the flow of supply into Salah and Mane. Nonetheless, you feel that the front three of last season, or at least the Salah of last season, would have twisted a few defenders inside out to pop up with a winning goal. Instead, both of Liverpool’s widemen produced their worst performances of the campaign.

And it inevitably highlights the contradiction behind Liverpool’s title bid; rather than the scintillating attacking football of 2017/18, defensive resilience and a new-found grit has got them through games.

But that isn’t how we’d like to remember them – historically, both Liverpool and Klopp are synonymous with excitement, entertainment, ambition and flair. The resident result-grinders, at least in the context of the Premier League title, are Chelsea, a club Liverpool are supposed to be the antithesis of. The idea of Liverpool winning the title ugly just doesn’t fit into our preconceptions and historic assumptions.

Perhaps the phrase ugly is a little overzealous, but Liverpool have certainly been a less beautiful beast than last season – immovable rather than irresistible. History, however, will unlikely remember them in that way; the two campaigns will be fused together, a brush of romanticism will be applied and while the impact of Liverpool’s defensive recruits over the last year will of course be acknowledged – chiefly Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Alisson – the relentless nature of the front three will be in the forefront of our minds.

Thing is, they just haven’t been quite so relentless this time around, when history’s spotlight is firmly set on them. And history, eventually, will only recall what we want it to recall – a Liverpool side that always thrilled, rather than one that relied on being almost impenetrable.

As per Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via Inside Futbol, an update has come to light on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Torino defender Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: Centre-back eyed…

The signing of a central defender is reliably reported to be manager Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s top summer priority.

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Indeed, as backed by The Athletic, Tottenham are eager to bolster their options in that position, particularly on the left side of the three, with an array of transfer targets having already been shortlisted.

Bremer, who has been in fine form for Torino this season, is one of them as news from the continent emerges.

The Latest: Tottenham official dispatched…

According to Gazzetta (via IF), a Tottenham official was recently sent to run the rule over one of Serie A’s top defenders as Conte personally identifies him as a possible signing.

It is believed, however, that his club could demand around €50 million (£41m) for his services.

The Verdict: Worth the money?

The Brazilian, highly regarded by Italian football experts, is also attracting interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Leicester, Everton and Newcastle according to reports.

Amid the competition, his price could rise even further, but Bremer comes as a really promising target nonetheless and it’s no surprise to see him on Conte’s wanted list.

Averaging the second-highest match rating out of Torino’s squad on average, none of their players have made more clearances or interceptions per 90 in Serie A this season – backing his colossal defensive ability (WhoScored).

Ex-Forza Italian Football journalist Rajath Kumar has even described the 25-year-old as their ’emerging superstar’, and if Paratici opts to invest significantly in his signing, he could be a coup for Spurs.

In other news: Tottenham sources now believe they’re in pole position to seal ‘top signing’ for Conte! Find out more here.

Manchester United are attempting to hire their next manager to take control at Old Trafford this summer with Erik ten Hag the clear favourite for the challenging role, however a new update has emerged in another set-back for the club.

What’s the word?

According to Mail on Sunday’s Chief Writer, Rob Draper, Manchester United have now got some competition to secure the appointment of the Ajax boss.

In a report for the Daily Mail, Draper wrote that a leading Bundesliga club are also interested in hiring ten Hag this summer, and there are many issues that need to be resolved before he considers a move to Manchester at the end of the season.

Supporters will be fuming

Ten Hag has been the clear front runner and favourite to take over from Ralf Rangnick for weeks now, and losing the manager to another club this late in the process would be a devastating blow that would surely leave Man United supporters fuming and disappointed.

The Ajax boss was originally linked with the job leading up to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being sacked, but the manager committed himself to see out the season with his Dutch side, so after a long wait for the appointment it will be a widely unpopular outcome if the United board and the Glazers don’t seal the deal.

The Red Devils have had an abysmal season by their standards considering they finished second in the Premier League last season. They have crashed out of all competitions and will enter their longest trophy drought in 40 years, so the addition of a manager like ten Hag with a winning mentality is essential for bringing back trophies to the club.

He has won two Eredivisie titles and impressively took Ajax to a Champions League semi-final in 2019 to name just a few of ten Hag’s achievements at his current club, and the supporters of Man United will surely be desperate for him to emulate his success with their side too.

The powers at Old Trafford must do everything they can to keep the deal on the table with the 52-year-old manager as it would be a disaster to lose him to another club and go back to square one in their manager search.

In other news: Journo reveals what he’s heard from senior figures at MUFC on Ronaldo, it’s bad news

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has now revealed some news involving reported Newcastle United target Nico Schlotterbeck.

The Lowdown: January target

It was reported that the St. James’ Park faithful were eyeing up a move for Schlotterbeck in the January transfer window, but a move from Freiburg never materialised in the end.

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Instead, they signed Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion, but could be in the market for another central defender in the summer, as per 90min.

The Latest: Dortmund bound

Sharing his article on Twitter, Bailey has revealed that the North East club will now ‘miss out’ on signing Schlotterbeck this summer, as he is set to sign for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga:

“Newcastle miss out on signing of Nico Schlotterbeck,” the journalist said.

“Outstanding young German international did have interest in moving to Tyneside, but Borussia Dortmund were a bigger lure at this point.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that the Magpies have seemingly missed out on one of their targets in Schlotterbeck.

The 22-year-old is clearly a top prospect, having broken into the Germany national team last month, and his performances in the Bundesliga have merited a move to a big club like Dortmund.

He currently ranks as Freiburg’s best performer in the Bundesliga so far this season, and is high among his teammates in terms of average aerial duels, tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks won per match (WhoScored).

Schlotterbeck would have been a shrewd signing for Eddie Howe and his team, but it looks like they will have to advance further in the long-term project if they are to beat big clubs to their respective targets.

In other news, find out which ‘special, special’ ex-Magpie NUFC are now targeting here!

Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has hailed the club’s supporters ahead of a potential record attendance for an Under-23 fixture on Friday evening.

The Lowdown: Elland Road ticket details

The Whites youngsters, now led by Andrew Taylor following Mark Jackson’s promotion to the first team, take on Manchester City tomorrow evening.

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Leeds gave season ticket holders and members the opportunity to attend for free up until April 12, with Beren Cross sharing on Wednesday evening that ticket sales are beyond 17,000.

The record for a Premier League 2 fixture stands at 17,525 – set by Everton in 2017, but it looks as if the Whites will surpass that figure before the weekend.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Talking to Football Insider, Whelan labelled the support as ‘incredible’, adding that this goes to show that an expansion to Elland Road needs to happen.

“That just says it all about our club.

“We knew we had incredible supporters, and this is just the latest evidence of that.

“It’s not the first time we’ve gone over the 10,000 mark – and that’s fantastic support.

“This sort of thing just epitomises why we need a bigger stadium. A lot of these fans can’t get tickets for the Premier League games.

“For me, this sort of demand just proves that an expansion to Elland Road needs to be in the works.

“It’s going to be a great experience for these young players to play in front of that kind of crowd.”

The Verdict: Bonkers

The well-known phrase ‘Leeds take more’ is sometimes mocked by opposition supporters, but this just goes to show how incredible the Whites faithful are.

Bringing nearly 20,000 to a U23 fixture is crazy, and potentially higher than a number of Championship attendances this weekend.

The club have teased work to Elland Road in recent years, and after this update, hopefully, they will make a start on plans to expand the current 37,890 capacity.

In other news: ‘In the coming days’ – Fabrizio Romano drops blow for Leeds and Orta as ‘agreement’ reached. 

West Ham United have opened talks with Tomas Soucek about extending his stay at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that West Ham have started negotiations with the 26-year-old midfielder regarding a new four-year deal.

The report goes on to state that, despite the fact the Czech Republic international’s current contract runs until the summer of 2024, the club’s hierarchy are keen to tie him down to a new long-term deal.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how “important” a part of the West Ham side Soucek has become since his €21m (£17.5m) permanent signing back in the summer of 2020, the news that the club are hoping to extend the midfielder’s stay in East London is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, during his first full season with the club last term, the £42m-rated man was in remarkable form over his 38 Premier League appearances, scoring ten goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The defensively-minded midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 9.6 duels per fixture.

These returns saw the £67k-per-week dynamo earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Moyes’ second-best performer in the top flight last time out – as well as seeing the 26-year-old win the club’s Hammer of the Year award.

As such, while many will be disappointed that West Ham missed out on a £50m deal to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the January transfer window, the news that the club are working on keeping Soucek a part of their squad for the foreseeable future – amid reported interest from both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain – is sure to have appeased the Hammers fanbase somewhat.

In other news: “Can confirm”: Ex drops big claim on failed deadline day move, WHU fans will be fuming

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the latest?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, despite a number of reports claiming that the 52-year-old Spurs manager would be tempted by a move back to Juventus should Massimiliano Allegri be relieved of his duties, the Italian is currently happy in north London – suggesting that an imminent departure is not on the cards.

Gold went on to state that, even if the Serie A side were to make an approach for their former manager, Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici hold an option to extend Conte’s current contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which is set to expire at the end of the current campaign – for a further year – something that provides the club with an extra layer of protection regarding the coach.

Regarding the future of the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Italy manager, the journalist said: “Digging around, I’ve got confirmation today that it’s Tottenham that hold this option. So Tottenham are the ones who can decide to extend, and they can do so whenever they choose to do it before the end of the contract.

“So that gives Conte a little bit more protection, and if a side like Juventus do come in, they’d have to pay a lot more money. But from what I understand, Conte seems to be quite happy at the moment. He seems to be quite settled.”

Great news for Spurs

Considering the rather remarkable job Conte has done at Tottenham since his appointment in November of 2021, Gold’s claim that the Premier League side hold an option to extend the 52-year-old’s current deal for a further year, in addition to his suggestion that the Italian appears to be happy in north London, is undoubtedly great news for Spurs.

Indeed, following his arrival at the club, the tactician achieved an astonishing turnaround in form, with Tottenham winning 17, drawing five and losing just six of their 28 Premier League fixtures under his management, despite having won five and lost five of their opening 10 games of the season while Nuno Espírito Santo was at the helm.

These results saw Spurs climb from ninth in the table prior to the 52-year-old’s appointment to fourth by the end of the 2022/23 campaign, with the Italian ensuring that Tottenham would be playing Champions League football for the first time since 2020 – beating north London rivals Arsenal to fourth with a 5-0 win over Norwich City on the final day of the season.

Furthermore, Conte has also overseen a sensational start to Tottenham’s 2022/23 Premier League campaign, with the Lilywhites currently sitting third in the top flight standings – having won five, drawn two and lost none of their seven league fixtures so far this season – just one point behind the Gunners in first and level on points with reigning champions Manchester City in second.

However, the 52-year-old’s impact is even more impressive when looking at the bigger picture as, since the beginning of 2022, only Liverpool and Manchester City (60) have picked up more Premier League points than the Italian’s side, with Tottenham currently sitting in third on 58 points – while City (71) are the also only team to have outscored Spurs (65) this year.

As such, considering the fact that Conte has achieved these results despite having only been at the club for a little under 11 months, the prospect of the 52-year-old staying on for a further year and a half is sure to be an incredibly exciting one for everyone involved with Spurs – proving why Gold’s latest update is undoubtedly great news for the club.

A major claim has emerged in Sunderland’s pursuit of a replacement for Lee Johnson at the Stadium of Light…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has revealed that they have reached an agreement with a head coach to finally take over at the club more than a week after Johnson’s sacking.

The ex-Bristol City boss was relieved of his duties after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton in League One at the end of January, with Kristjaan Speakman now set to replace him two games later.

Hope tweeted: “Alex Neil has agreed a deal to take over as Sunderland manager.”

Buzzing

Sunderland fans will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be delighted to read that significant progress is finally being made in their pursuit of a new manager. This latest claim indicates that they are inches away from being able to announce Johnson’s successor, and supporters will surely be relieved that the saga is coming to a close.

It has been a frustrating period for the club as they have lost back-to-back League One matches with Mike Dodds at the helm, losing to bottom-half teams in Doncaster and Cheltenham. Speakman’s lack of speed in appointing a manager has seemingly cost Sunderland six points as their interim coaching setup proved that they were not up to the task at hand.

The fans will therefore be buzzing for a new man to come in. They will also be excited as Neil comes in with the experience of getting a team promoted in similar circumstances.

Neil joined Norwich in January 2015 with the Canaries just outside the play-off picture in the Championship and led them to promotion via the play-offs. He galvanised the East Anglian outfit and took them to the Premier League, showing that he is able to make an instant impact without a pre-season or time to work out what he has within his squad.

Norwich won 15 of their 22 league games after his arrival before winning two of their three play-off matches to seal their ascent to the top flight. This highlights the potential that he has to make a difference at Sunderland, as he has proven that he can forge a winning team at a higher level than League One, which is why fans will surely be buzzing with this potential appointment.

AND in other news, “I understand”: Downie drops huge update in SAFC manager hunt, he’d be a “perfect fit”…

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to sign exciting young Fulham midfielder Fabio Carvalho in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Carvalho linked with January move to Liverpool

The Reds brought in Luis Diaz in January, a transfer which has already proven to be a masterstroke, but they were also strongly linked with a mid-season move for Carvalho.

In the end, the 19-year-old stayed put at Fulham, and he has thrived for the Championship leaders this season, scoring seven goals and adding six assists for good measure.

Liverpool’s interest in the teenager was expected to be revived in the summer, and that looks highly likely to be the case.

The Latest: Transfer reportedly agreed

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them that Liverpool have an ‘agreement in principle’ with Carvalho over a summer switch to Anfield.

The Reds will sign the youngster on a free transfer when his current Fulham deal expires at the end of June.

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The Verdict: One for the future

It is vital that Liverpool continue to build towards the future, and Carvalho is an exceptional talent who could be a great signing, having last year been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Fulham manager Marco Silva.

The forward’s seemingly imminent move to Anfield would have echoes of the Reds’ 2019 signing of Harvey Elliott, who also swapped Fulham for Liverpool as a teenage starlet; and the pair could prove to be two of the Reds’ creative forces for many years to come, dovetailing to devastating effect.

Carvalho would likely come in as a squad player for starters given his tender age, but he could mature into a key figure at Anfield as some current Liverpool stars pass their peak and wane, wreaking havoc in a number eight role.

In other news, Liverpool are one of the clubs to ‘position themselves’ for this player. Read more here.

Staying in the Premier League is fundamental for every side taking part in the division, with the financial implications of dropping down to the Championship potentially disastrous for clubs.

The Championship is a hugely competitive league, filled with superb teams but the Premier League is the undisputed holy grail and the battle for survival in 2021/22 is already starting to intensify.

Newly promoted sides often head up the market when it comes to predicting which sides will be relegated each season but in recent times, sides such as Leeds United, Wolves and Aston Villa defied the early season predictions to comfortably avoid the drop.

It has been a tough campaign for the likes of Burnley, Watford, Newcastle United and Norwich City, who have only managed to win 11 games between them this term – with the Clarets standing out with just one Premier League win so far.

Sean Dyche is a manager known for conjuring up the goods when it matters but he hasn’t been able to inspire Burnley to previous heights this term.

The departure of star striker Chris Wood to fellow strugglers Newcastle United in the January Transfer Window is an obvious moot point and the fact that Burnley have played as many as 5 fewer league games this season due to COVID 19 cannot go unnoticed.

However, at the halfway point in the campaign, their points haul of just 12 is concerning and they need to start putting points on the board very quickly.

The Clarets currently have a 4 point gap to Premier League safety above them and at 1.50, the bet365 clearly feel they are a serious relegation contender this season.

Elsewhere, Norwich City have seen results and performances perk up significantly since the arrival of Dean Smith before Christmas, however they are still immersed in relegation trouble.

The Canaries have 16 points from 22 games played, with back to back wins over Everton and Watford in their last two games certainly improving the mood at Carrow Road.

It is a big ask for them to stay up however, with their financial and pulling power incomparable to some of the teams around them and they are the favourites to go down at 1.20.

Watford’s pen champs for changing manager hasn’t notoriously worked out so much in recent seasons but that hasn’t deterred them from employing their third manager this term already.

Their poor early season form saw them decide to sack Xisco Munoz and replace him with former league winner Claudio Ranieri – who also got the boot after Christmas, to be replaced by Roy Hodgson.

It does feel too little, too late for the Hornets however – who are also heavily backed to drop back down into the Championship at 1.33.

Having the financial clout to get out of trouble is often as important as any managerial appointments and Newcastle United’s reported unlimited transfer budget could be a decisive factor.

Eddie Howe’s side have only won 2 games this season but with the likes of Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier coming in, they have been able to strengthen their squad significantly.

At 2.50, it would be somewhat of a shock to see Newcastle drop back into the Championship but with plenty of football to be played, anything can happen in the Premier League.

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