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Liverpool supporters have been in fine voice throughout the current two-week break for internationals after seeing their team pick up a ninth Premier League win of the season last time out.

Jurgen Klopp’s men went into their clash with struggling Fulham off the back of drawing 1-1 with Arsenal in their preceding league encounter, a result which maintained their unbeaten start to the league campaign. And the Reds got back to winning ways at Anfield last time out as goals from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed a routine 2-0 success for the Merseyside giants, thus keeping them just two points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

As such, there have been many happy Liverpudlians up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have taken to Twitter in recent times to call for manager Klopp to give right back Nathaniel Clyne another chance in the first team.

And with Trent Alexander-Arnold having not fired on all cylinders so far this season, and Joe Gomez playing too well at centre back to deputise down the right-hand-side, those Reds fans are spot on to call for Klopp to make the bold decision to play the Englishman in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, the 27-year-old made the move to Anfield back in 2015 after seriously impressing on the South Coast with Southampton, what with Clyne following the likes of Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren the year before in swapping St Mary’s for Merseyside.

And it was proving to be an excellent decision by the defender given he appeared 52 times in all competitions in his first season at the club, with his high-level performances earning him seven England caps in 2015 to underline his rise.

And with 37 Premier League appearances the season after to help Klopp’s side return to the top four, Clyne was at the time one of the best right backs in the Premier League, and very much looked set for a bright future for both club and indeed country.

However, the 27-year-old suffered a back injury during pre-season last year which kept him out for the majority of the campaign, leaving the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Gomez, the former of which went to the World Cup with England, and the latter probably would have done but for injury, to move ahead of him in the pecking order.

And neither have relinquished their places in the right back pecking order given Clyne hasn’t made a matchday squad in the Premier League since their opening day win against West Ham – in fact, the only senior appearance he has made this term came in their Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea.

Nonetheless, while Alexander-Arnold produced the goods on international duty this week, he has hardly convinced at right back for Liverpool so far this term with several nervy displays, certainly defensively, to the point that Klopp dragged Gomez away from centre back to play right back against Manchester City back in October.

Thus, it seems plainly obvious that Clyne should get the chance to usurp a slightly out-of-form Alexander-Arnold at right back, especially with Gomez excelling alongside van Dijk at centre back – otherwise, his Liverpool career is surely at an end.

And while it would be something of a bold risk for Klopp to take given Clyne hasn’t started a Premier League game since May, one must remember just how impressive a right back the 27-year-old was prior to injury – he won’t have just become a bad player overnight.

Add in the fact that a full fit and firing Clyne would provide stern competition to Alexander-Arnold, thus forcing him to improve upon recent club displays, and it makes sense for Klopp to make the bold call to give £18 million-rated Clyne (as per Transfermarkt) a chance – failure to do so would all but bring his Reds career to a close.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a recent report from Marca, Reece Oxford could be set for a move away this month. The 19-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League side West Ham having come up through the ranks at the East London outfit, although just 17 senior appearances for the Hammers suggests that he is still a way away from commanding regular football under Manuel Pellegrini.

And recent reports suggest that La Liga club Eibar are keen on landing the £4.5 million-rated sensation (as per Transfermarkt), in news which should be of interest to West Brom manager Darren Moore, as he must seek to rival the Spanish side in a bid to upgrade on current central midfield option Chris Brunt.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Northern Ireland international Brunt has been an outstanding servant to West Brom over the years, but much of his best football has come when playing out wide, with the 33-year-old contributing the vast majority of his 47 goals and 82 assists for the Baggies from those wide areas.

Yet manager Moore has utilised Brunt in a more central position in all five of West Brom’s Championship matches so far this season, and it’s fair to say that the 33-year-old hasn’t looked overly comfortable in that position.

And given just how important it is to have genuine quality in the middle of the park, the Baggies boss should be seeking to improve that area of the field in the last knockings of the loan window – Oxford’s arrival may well do just that.

The 19-year-old has been tipped for some time now to be the next big-thing in English football after making his West Ham debut at the tender age of 16, but with just 17 first team appearances for the Hammers, it hasn’t quite worked out like that.

And with difficult loan spells at Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach, there are some doubts creeping in about the youngster, but what isn’t in doubt is that he has all the attributes to be a serious upgrade on current West Brom midfielder Brunt.

The England Under-20 international has a great aerial presence and is deceptively quick across the ground, but importantly he has genuine quality with the ball at his feet, with Oxford calm and composed in possession, and able to pick a pass.

Add in the fact that he is adept at centre back as well, and it’s clear that Moore would benefit greatly from having a player like Oxford at his disposal, at the same time giving the West Brom chief an upgrade on the unconvincing Brunt in the heart of his midfield.

West Brom fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham Hotspur were knocked out of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against London rivals West Ham United at Wembley, and Spurs fans weren’t impressed with Fernando Llorente’s performance.

The summer signing from Swansea City was handed just his third start of the season in all competitions with Harry Kane left out of the squad against the Irons, and even though the striker produced the flick header for Moussa Sissoko’s opening goal he offered little threat up top and was replaced by Mousa Dembele 18 minutes from time.

The 32-year-old is still yet to score in nine appearances for the north London outfit so far this term, and he will be hoping to get off the mark soon to prove that he is able back-up to Kane.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on his showing via social media, and while some said he “let the team down”, others simply said “he was shocking”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

From seemingly heading to the Chinese Super League to becoming a favourite of Jose Mourinho, it has been some couple of months for Manchester United’s Ashley Young.

The 31-year-old hardly kicked a ball in the first half of the 2016-17 campaign, but the Englishman has been a regular for the Red Devils in recent weeks, showing his versatility by operating in a number of positions.

The former Aston Villa attacker was named Man United captain for Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Chelsea, meanwhile, and he again impressed in a 2-0 victory for the Red Devils, who continued their long unbeaten run in England’s top flight.

Any tweet from Young, on any subject matter, in the latter stages of 2016 would have brought a furious reaction from Man United’s fanbase, especially considering the substantial wages that the versatile operator has collected over the last few seasons.

It is amazing how quickly things can change, however, and after taking to social media to reveal his delight at wearing the Man United armband at the weekend, the club’s fanbase responded with praise for the 30-time England international.

Another weekend of Premier League action is upon us and it brings with it another huge game.

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been treated to a Manchester Derby and Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea and this Saturday sees another pair of the Premier League’s big guns go head to head in the evening fixture.

Before that, though, there are plenty of other fixtures to whet the appetite, with managers’ jobs becoming increasingly precarious.

There are teams that are looking to finally get their seasons going and as well as that, others looking to capitalise on what’s been a good start for them and aiming to prove they’re in it for the long haul.

There’s plenty to look forward to, then, as there always is with a weekend of top flight football and FootballFanCast have got the FIVE things you need to look out for most of all right here…

A London Derby – Arsenal vs. Chelsea

This is the weekend’s main event as fierce rivals Arsenal and Chelsea duke it out at the Emirates. The Blues go into the game on the back of a fairly humbling defeat against Liverpool whilst the Gunners’ season is starting to get into gear.

A win here for Arsenal would be a real step in the right direction after their own loss to Liverpool whilst Chelsea need their players to show that last season’s form isn’t about to return.

Stoke to get going? – Stoke vs. West Brom

Stoke have been woeful this year, there can be no escaping it, but as football so often does, a rather neat script is being concocted. The Potters host West Brom now managed by their former boss Tony Pulis who was sacked as the club looked to play more expansive football.

Ironically, going into the game they now need the Welshman’s gritty tactics to help them get out of their rut whilst the Baggies are arriving after putting four past West Ham. Sometimes, you really couldn’t make it up.

Liverpool’s credentials to be tested – Liverpool vs. Hull City

Liverpool, as they once again demonstrated against Chelsea, are great at playing against the biggest sides. There is clearly no problem with that and whilst that performance has led some to think they could win the title, it’s games like the one this weekend that will really see where the Reds are.

They face Hull at Anfield on Saturday in a game that reeks of one they’d fail to win in recent years. It’s time to prove people wrong.

How far have Everton come? – Bournemouth vs. Everton

Everton travel to Bournemouth in a repeat of one of the games of the season from last year. A number of last minute goals saw the result swing from an Everton victory to a draw in a match that the Toffees should have put to bed much earlier.

That was under Roberto Martinez though and should they find themselves in front this time around they’ll be hoping to hold on. It’s a good benchmark to see just how much Ronald Koeman has helped the team out.

Hammers home comforts at last? – West Ham vs. Southampton

It’s been a nightmare start for the Hammers at the London Stadium with the issues there well documented. It has to work at some point though and it could come against a Southampton side that are still finding their feet themselves under Claude Puel.

The Saints come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win but West Ham will be going all guns blazing trying to make the stadium a fortress.

An updated version of 'Pep's City', a book charting Guardiola's spell in Manchester, has revealed the iconic coach's most devastating City loss.

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Book updated to chart Champions League gloryRevealing interview with club exec addedLyon loss described as "turning point"Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The match in question isn't necessarily an obvious one. Despite high-profile defeats in the Champions League to clubs including Tottenham in 2019 and Real Madrid in 2022, as well as difficult clashes with Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs in the Premier League, the book claims that the most impactful loss for Pep was a quarter-final defeat to Lyon in 2020.

AdvertisementWHAT THE BOOK SAID

In a revised edition of 'Pep's City: The Making of a Superteam' by Pol Ballus and Lu Martin, the inside scoop of the side's defeat by the Ligue 1 outfit is laid out in detail. According to the book, the pain of an "agonising loss" in Lisbon's Jose Alvalade Stadium on August 15, 2020 endured "more than Monaco in 2017, more than Liverpool in 2018, more than Tottenham in 2019."

According to a senior executive at the club, "It was one of those make-or-break moments. Pep blamed himself and I think he might have offered to resign if [chairman] Khaldoon hadn't intervened. He came down to the dressing room immediately after the game… and said three things: 'It's been a tough night, but we'll come back from this. This isn't our year but our time will come as long as we don't let it knock us sideways. Right now, we need to believe in ourselves more than ever.' Pep was stunned."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Of course, the rest is history. City bounced back from that bizarre and unique Covid-impacted season to win three consecutive Premier League titles and top it off with their first ever Champions League trophy in 2023/24. Pep may have been at his lowest following that shock Lyon defeat, but it's been an unstoppable upward trajectory for the club ever since.

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DID YOU KNOW?

According to Ballus and Martin, Pep considers the Lyon loss to be "one of the turning points in the modern history of Manchester City. He knew he approached that match with the same attention to detail as ever. But, on the night, his 3-5-2 had been powerless against the French onslaught."

Colombia and Morocco progressed at the expense of the two-time world champions, who couldn't beat South Korea. What on earth happened?

The biggest shock in the history of the Women’s World Cup. That’s what Germany’s group stage exit on Thursday was. The two-time champions had never tasted failure like this, always reaching at least the quarter-finals of the tournament. But after they could only muster up a 1-1 draw against South Korea, and Morocco beat Colombia, the unthinkable happened. They were out.

Only 12 months ago, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side were in the final of the Euros, so close to winning a ninth title on the continent. With a young side that was a year better and a year more experienced, they were one of the biggest favourites to win this World Cup. They were the favourites to win their group, at the very least, sat 15 FIFA world ranking places higher than South Korea, 23 above Colombia and 70 above Morocco.

But an uninspiring performance in Brisbane, which followed a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Colombia, was their downfall. The stunned looks on the faces of Germany’s players at full-time said it all. A handful were reduced to tears but most simply stood there in disbelief, unable to fathom their fate.

How do you go from being the front-runners to win the World Cup to crashing out in the group stages for the first time in history?

GettyHigh expectations

At Wembley last July, Germany were so close to a ninth European title. Exciting winger Klara Buhl had to miss the final due to Covid and Alexandra Popp pulled out with an injury in the warm-up but it still took an extra-time goal for England to come through and win their first major tournament.

With the likes of 23-year-old Giulia Gwinn, 20-year-old Lena Oberdorf and 19-year-old Jule Brand starting the game, while several young talents also came off the bench, it felt like Germany were in a good place. Voss-Tecklenburg certainly thought so.

"We’ve already said this tournament is a stepping stone in our development," she said afterwards. "It wasn’t enough now but this leads us to the next step.

"At the World Cup, I think we will be able to look back at today’s game because such a game changes personalities. These situations make you grow no matter the result – but even with a negative result, that’s why we will continue on this path."

As well as those talented youngsters, several in this Germany team came into the World Cup in a wonderful place. Wolfsburg, who had more players in the squad than any other club, just reached the Women’s Champions League final, after all. No wonder expectations were high.

AdvertisementGettyInjuries

But one thing that did hinder Germany at this tournament was injuries – all of them in defence.

At right-back, they were missing Gwinn, who tore her ACL last October and didn’t recover in time for the trip to Australia. On the opposite flank, Carolin Simon suffered an ACL rupture in the team’s final friendly before the World Cup, a surprise defeat to Zambia, and Felicitas Rauch picked up a knee problem in training after the team’s opening game.

In the heart of defence, there were also problems. Marina Hegering, who shone at the Euros last summer, was unavailable for the first two games due to an ankle injury and Sara Doorsoun had to come off at half-time in the shock defeat to Colombia because of a muscular issue.

None of this was ideal, of course, but with the depth in Germany’s squad, surely there would be a solution…

GettyMakeshift full-backs

The solutions that Voss-Tecklenburg opted for, though, were certainly questionable.

Despite trialling both Sarai Linder and Sophia Kleinherne at right-back in the build-up to this tournament, she opted to start experienced winger Svenja Huth there in all three games instead. Kleinherne was in the World Cup squad but didn’t see a minute of action. Linder was left at home. Maximiliane Rall, the Bayern Munich right-back, was also not called up.

Meanwhile, Chantal Hagel, a left-footed midfielder, was deployed at left-back in a four-player defence. It meant that Germany had just two recognised defenders in their starting line-ups for the defeat to Colombia and the draw against South Korea.

Was this really the best solution? It seemed slightly baffling that Voss-Tecklenburg had not opted for a change of formation to mask her team’s weaknesses. After all, holding midfielder Lena Oberdorf has a lot of experience at centre-back and could’ve easily slotted in there to form a back three, with there plenty of strong options in the squad for wing-back roles.

But the flat back four left the two centre-backs exposed and resulted in a dysfunctional back line, something which both Colombia and South Korea exposed.

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GettyFlaws on show

These weaknesses were not exactly a secret, either. South Korea boss Colin Bell certainly knew about them, anyway.

“Our strategy was to press and get behind the full-backs if we could,” he explained after the game, adding that he started Casey Phair and Chun Ga-ram, two young forwards, specifically to expose Germany’s defence with their energy. “We knew we could put the centre-backs under pressure and that mistakes were possible if the pressure was there.

“[Huth and Hagel] are not full-backs. They are not learnt full-backs and don’t have the schooling of a full-back. We wanted to target those areas and it worked. We wanted to target both full-backs because they are very good players, but they are not full-backs.”

“That’s some input we will accept and think about alternatives but we created the formation in the way that we thought was best,” Voss-Tecklenburg said when told of Bell’s comments. “If the result is not what you want you have to accept the responsibility.”

Chelsea and AC Milan's newcomers were among the biggest moves seen in a frantic winter transfer period

• Getty Images
  

  1Krzysztof Piatek | Genoa to AC Milan

  The Rossoneri moved in lightning fashion to replace Higuain, signing up the Poland international from Genoa while Pipita was still taking his Chelsea medical. On first impressions it may well prove that the Italians received the best end of that bargain.

  Piatek picked up right where he left off with Genoa, netting twice against Napoli in the Coppa Italia to make himself an instant fans' favourite. Along with Duvan Zapata he has been the revelation of the Serie A season and has drawn obvious comparisons with compatriot Robert Lewandowski.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  2Gonzalo Higuain | AC Milan to Chelsea

  The centre-forward spot at Chelsea has proven a poisoned chalice in recent seasons. But experienced goal-getter Higuain has as much chance as anyone of making waves at Stamford Bridge.

  Higuain boasts an enviable scoring record, hitting more than 150 goals in Italy since joining Napoli in 2013. And while he failed to find his best form for AC Milan in the first half of 2018-19, the Argentine is still a fearsome striker who can deliver the goals Chelsea so desperately need.

• Getty Images
  

  3Lucas Paqueta | Flamengo to AC Milan

  AC Milan finally sealed the signing of young Brazil international Paqueta from Flamengo in January. And while he has played just a handful of matches so far, he is making all the right noises at San Siro.

  Paqueta laid on a goal for Krzysztof Piatek in Tuesday's stunning 2-0 defeat of Napoli in the Coppa Italia. The pair seem to be the breath of fresh air Milan needed to get their season going after such toils in the first half of the campaign.

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• Getty
  

  4Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea to Monaco

  Even at the ripe old age of 31, the capture of Cesc on a free transfer represents a cracking piece of business for crisis-ridden Monaco.

  After a four-and-a-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge that included two Premier League titles, the Spain international lost favour with the arrival of Maurizio Sarri. Now he is charged with saving his new club from relegation, with Leonardo Jardim drafted back into coaching service in extraordinary circumstances having been sacked just months earlier.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta janela de transferências, o São Paulo ainda não se movimentou no mercado para investir em novos jogadores, apenas se esforçou para manter peças que estavam no clube por empréstimo. No entanto, assim que partir para as negociações focará em reforços para o setor ofensivo como meias e atacantes. Mesmo assim, as buscas serão pontuais e em pouca quantidade.

TABELA
> Veja tabela e simulador do Paulistão clicando aqui

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Com as permanências de Tiago Volpi, Igor Vinícius e Vitor Bueno, as demandas mais urgentes desta janela foram resolvidas e, na visão dos dirigentes, foi mantido um grupo forte, com uma base montada suficiente para brigar por títulos na próxima temporada. Contudo, apesar das dificuldades financeiras, é sabido que algumas contratações terão de ser feitas para reforçar o elenco.

E o setor mais carente, sem dúvidas, é o ofensivo, que teve um desempenho terrível em 2019. O ataque do Tricolor, que terminou com média de 0,93 gol por jogo, foi o pior da história do clube, com 56 tentos em 60 partidas. A ironia é que o reforço mais caro da história são-paulina (Pablo), foi justamente para o setor em questão. Em comparação com os outros clubes de Série A, foi melhor apenas do que os números do CSA: 53 gols em 59 jogos (média de 0,90).

Com a saída de Raniel para o Santos, uma vaga para a reserva de Pablo está aberta. Até aqui é o provável titular que não tem reposição. Apesar da volta de Tréllez, que estava emprestado ao Internacional, um outro centroavante deve ser trazido para ser sombra do camisa 9. Alexandre Pato poderia fazer essa função, mas a tendência é que seja utilizado como segundo atacante.

Caso Antony seja negociado com o exterior, tendência que deve se confirmar em breve, haverá também uma lacuna de jogador habilidoso e veloz que atue pelas pontas. Os jovens Toró e Helinho ainda não convenceram, Calazans não deve ficar no clube e Everton está voltando de lesão, ou seja, já seria preciso buscar uma opção com Antony no elenco, sem ele serão necessárias duas.

Outro setor que pode ter atenção é o de criação.Igor Gomes, Daniel Alves, Hernanes e Gabriel Sara seriam os jogadores que estão no grupo atual com essa característica, mas se houver uma oportunidade para se reforçar com um camisa 10, pode pintar uma contratação para a armação do time.

Até o momento, o São Paulo não tem negociação em andamento para essas posições, muito por conta das dificuldades financeiras e da prioridade dada à resolução da situação de Tiago Volpi, que foi comprado em definitivo. As buscas no mercado serão discretas, ms podem ser intensificadas em janeiro.

Na reapresentação do elenco, dia 6 de janeiro, no CT da Barra Funda, Igor Gomes e Antony não estarão presentes, já que foram convocados para a Seleção Brasileira que disputa o Pré-Olímpico entre janeiro e fevereiro. Ambos também não estarão na pré-temporada de dez dias no CT de Cotia, nem na estreia do Paulistão, no dia 22, às 21h30, contra o Água Santa, no Morumbi.

Zimbabwe legspinner Graeme Cremer and pacers Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva have been ruled out of the World TwentyT20 after they sustained injuries during practice matches in the UAE, according to Zimbabwe Cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2016Zimbabwe legspinner Graeme Cremer and pacers Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva have been ruled out of the World TwentyT20 after they sustained injuries during practice matches in the UAE, according to Zimbabwe Cricket. Their replacements in the squad are allrounder Chamu Chibhabha, fast bowler Tawanda Mupariwa and Donald Tiripano, who was on the stand-by list when the team for India was first announced. Chibhabha and Tiripano were with the team in the UAE for the practice matches.Cremer suffered a fracture in his left forearm while batting in the first practice match against West Indies in Sharjah on Saturday. In the same match, Madziva hurt his right thumb while attempting a return catch.Jongwe, meanwhile, injured himself while attempting a return catch against Sharjah Cricket Club on Tuesday. Having been hit on the right eye, Jongwe has been advised three-four weeks of rest by a neurosurgeon, to give the injury time to heal.Mupariwa played his last T20I match in October 2008, while his last international game for Zimbabwe was during the tour of Pakistan in May 2015. Both Tiripano and Chibhabha last played for Zimbabwe against Afghanistan in January. Chibhabha was a part of the squad for Bangladesh but did not get a game in the four-match T20I series.Zimbabwe are in Group B of the first round in the World T20, along with Afghanistan, Scotland and Hong Kong. They will play their first match against Hong Kong in Nagpur on March 8. The top team in Group B will join England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 10s stage.