Vesper

14 goals in the 2 games today!

1 nil Leeds Costa thsi could get really ugly really quickly

2020-21 English Premier League Leeds United Fulham http://www.ripple-stream.com/live/live-stream.php http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/premier-league-leeds-united-vs-fulham-s1/ http://hhdstreams.club/hd/ch1.php https://www.totalsportek.com/leeds-united/

big hat trick for my favourite non Chels English striker, DCL

not that great in the few games I watched him

that is very surprising, he looked great in the couple games I saw him in

3 2 another set piece goal

2 2 great free kick

I am sure they will fix it

GMTA

crazy ending to the half 2 1 Everton, great goal by James then Gibbs got a red for attacking him and Bilic got a red at HT for arguing

you can see why Noble and all of West Ham went batshit when they sold him

Grady Diangana with a super goal

2020-21 English Premier League Everton West Bromwich Albion http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/premier-league-everton-vs-west-bromwich-albion-s1/ https://www.totalsportek.com/everton-epl/

just damn https://yfl.viditnow.com/player/html/dJMeeZzW5wOnb?popup=yes&autoplay=1

How Arteta could fit Aubameyang, Lacazette, Willian and Pepe into the same side https://theathletic.com/2070740/2020/09/18/aubameyang-lacazette-willian-pepe-same-side/ The old adage about not fixing something that isn’t broken feels very apt at Arsenal at the moment. But somewhere in the back — or even front — of Mikel Arteta’s mind must be the temptation to try to add some more creativity to his team. He has settled on a formation that has suited his resources very efficiently, but that has made the traditional No 10 role as peripheral as the man who currently wears the shirt. Arsenal could have no complaints with their fluency and chance creation on the opening day of the season. Three goals of great variety — a predator’s finish, a high-class set-piece and a beautiful passing move — demonstrate how Arteta is trying to evolve his team’s style. But some circumstances will demand more vision, more imagination, more attacking impetus, more options to unlock a significantly tighter resistance than Fulham were able to muster. The inclusion of something approaching a playmaker meandering between the lines is a useful option to have. That doesn’t look like being Mesut Ozil at the moment but if Arteta feels like playing around with the attackers at his disposal, he could get adventurous to find a way to blend a quartet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian missed out on the starting line-up of Arsenal’s comfortable opening day win at Fulham. Willian was influential on his debut, involved in all three goals, and Pepe got a run out in place of the new arrival for the final 15 minutes. If Arteta sticks to the current system, with three at the back limiting the number of attacking players, it does look like an either/or when it comes to Willian and Pepe. Arteta wants to run Arsenal on a meritocracy — if you train well and play well, you will be selected. He has given players second chances. Dani Ceballos and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are excellent examples. He has no fear of upsetting reputations either. If new signing Willian and record signing Pepe have to compete for a starting place, so be it. But at some point, it has to be worth exploring how it works having both on the pitch at the same time. They are both capable of dribbling, shooting, creating and assisting. Using one in a wide position and one as a deeper-lying playmaker is a tantalising option. The inevitable question, then, is how Arteta can formulate a cohesive side that features Lacazette, Aubameyang, Willian and Pepe. The obvious answer is switching to 4-2-3-1 and playing all four attackers. The realistic answer is a little more complex. Although Arteta has played two different systems — 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 — since taking charge of Arsenal just before the end of 2019, in reality, they’re two different interpretations of the same approach. Arteta’s main intention is fielding a front five in the attacking phase of play — a centre-forward, a player in either channel and a player on either flank. This works very easily in the 3-4-3. The wide forwards — Aubameyang and Pepe towards the end of last season — cut inside and the wing-backs overlap. A variation was used at times, particularly in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, with Maitland-Niles coming inside. But Arsenal’s basic 3-4-3 would usually look something like this. With the 4-2-3-1, more compromise is involved — how does a front four become a front five? Well, in Arteta’s early days, it involved an extremely overlapping left-back —usually Bukayo Saka — rampaging forward to allow Aubameyang into an inside-left position. On the opposite side, the right winger (Pepe or Reiss Nelson) would hug the touchline, while the right-back (often Maitland-Niles) would tuck inside into defence or midfield, rather than overlapping. But that system featured Ozil. On paper, he was playing in his usual No 10 role, although in reality he was permanently located in the inside-right position in Arsenal’s front five. That position would be where Willian could slot in without any problems. Then, though, the problem becomes Pepe. Although accustomed to playing from the right, Pepe’s improved form in the final months of last season was largely because the change of system allowed him to move inside to occupy that inside-right position. From there, Pepe’s dangerous left foot became a greater factor, for crossing towards Aubameyang and Lacazette, or shooting at goal. He’s much less dangerous when playing as the permanent right winger in a five-man attack, asked to beat the opposition full-back on the outside. Besides, it seems clear that just as Aubameyang has thrived from an inside-left position by bending the ball inside the far post with his right foot, Arteta has generally favoured a left-footer in the inside-right channel — Ozil, Pepe and Saka. The right-footed Nelson has also been used there — as was Willian at the weekend. But Arsenal’s attack seems to offer more variety with a left-footer cutting inside and a right-footer on the overlap. Therefore, if Arteta does field Willian as his No 10 and Pepe from the right, Arsenal might end up with something like the situation below — the two essentially rotating positions on the right, the type of scheme RB Leipzig used in their Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid last month. The alternative would be using Willian more permanently wide on the right, going down the outside and crossing, and Pepe in his favoured right-centre role to cut inside and shoot. That’s arguably the best solution, and yet would presumably prove quite controversial, as many would interpret Pepe playing as Arsenal’s No 10 in a 4-2-3-1. For what Arteta wants from Arsenal’s system, though, it might make more sense. Pepe’s maiden season for Arsenal was challenging. He had to adapt in a team that was under pressure and struggling to express any kind of cohesive plan under Unai Emery. But the improvement as the season went on was clear. His performance was vital in the FA Cup win over Chelsea. Arteta won’t feel he must play merely because of his price tag, but he is right to feel that his second season is a good time to explore his potential. Arsenal have experienced plenty of frustrating afternoons against organised opponents who come to the Emirates to sit back. He has more ammunition with the arrival of Willian as well as the improving Pepe. Now it is a case of working out how best to use it.

still a great podcast

and if Rennes is going to be like this, then Camavinga is even a more remote possibility next summer, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

fuck this shit BUY PREDRAG

Explaining Liverpool’s defensive failings: it’s a worrying pattern not a one-off https://theathletic.com/2057485/2020/09/13/liverpool-defensive-problems-leeds/ Ultimately, Jurgen Klopp could afford to chuckle about a crazy, chaotic opening day thriller at Anfield. “Wow, a proper spectacle,” declared the grinning Liverpool boss. “We left space for improvement in our defending — let me say it like this!” His demeanour would have been very different but for Mohamed Salah’s late winner from the penalty spot which got the Premier League champions up and running in unconvincing fashion. No wonder players and staff rushed to mob the Egyptian attacker, who sparkled throughout and left Anfield with the matchball safely tucked under his arm. Forget scrawled messages of congratulations, there should have been an array of thank yous. Salah spared their blushes. Klopp was quick to praise Leeds United for the part they played in forcing the glaring defensive errors which blighted Liverpool’s performance. It’s rare to see any visiting team, let alone a newly promoted club, show such ambition at Anfield. At times the hosts looked genuinely rattled by the intensity of Marcelo Bielsa’s dynamic side, who enjoyed more possession (52% to 48%) and attempted more passes (460 to 423). The Liverpool boss also pointed to the fact that his entire back four had played international football earlier in the week. Preparations were hardly ideal with the squad only reconvening at Melwood three days before the game. “People say they’ve played 500 games together, but defending is not like riding a bike. You have to work on it constantly,” Klopp says. But it would be wrong to dismiss Saturday as a one-off, a rare aberration or simply opening day rust. Liverpool’s historic title triumph in 2019-20 was built on rock-solid foundations. It was their ability to keep clean sheets and grind out narrow wins when not at their best which set them apart from Manchester City. When in front, they had both the tactical shape and the nous to control proceedings and see games out. However, there has been a significant shift. Liverpool conceded just 15 goals in their opening 26 league matches last season (an average of 0.58 per game). From February’s visit of West Ham United onwards, Liverpool have leaked 21 goals in 13 league matches (an average of 1.62 per game). From seemingly impenetrable to porous. That run has included conceding four at the Etihad, two at the Emirates and three in back-to-back home games (Chelsea and Leeds) for the first time since September 1982. It was understandable that standards would slip towards the end of last season once the title had been secured, but Liverpool have continued to look vulnerable since. Why? There have been glaring lapses in concentration coupled with some structural tactical issues. Saturday’s erratic victory contained both. Klopp wasn’t happy with the positioning of full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in the build-up to Leeds’ first goal (below). A high defensive line relies heavily on the organisation and timing being spot on. “Both were deeper than the centre-halves and that should never happen in football,” he said. Alexander-Arnold was caught napping by Kalvin Phillips’ lofted pass and Jack Harrison was able to get away from him far too easily and skip past Joe Gomez too before finishing emphatically. But it all started with Phillips being allowed too much time on the ball. Liverpool’s press let them down with Roberto Firmino easily bypassed and no one backing up the Brazilian, who struggled to impose himself on the game. It was a similar tale for the second goal with Leeds allowed to build play unchallenged before Virgil van Dijk made a hash of a high ball in behind and Patrick Bamford accepted the gift (below). The Dutch centre-back was far too casual but Alisson could have been more decisive by dealing with the danger himself. “Unfortunately, a goal came out of it but I don’t worry about that,” Van Dijk says. “We’ll take the good things with us, but more importantly the bad things as well. There was a lot of running, a lot of one-v-one and counter-attacks. It was something we expected and trained for. They will give a lot of trouble to many teams in the league with the way they play.” Leeds’ third goal was another catalogue of errors. Alexander-Arnold’s misplaced throw handed possession to Stuart Dallas, the gap between Gomez and Van Dijk was far too big and the intelligent run of Mateusz Klich into the space wasn’t tracked by either Georginio Wijnaldum or Curtis Jones as the Pole hammered home Helder Costa’s delivery. Three shots on target, three goals. It could have been worse. Alexander-Arnold puffed out his cheeks in relief as the offside flag went up after he had nodded into his own net. Liverpool were carved open too easily and too frequently. Collectively, from front to back, their work off the ball wasn’t good enough. There is a personnel issue to address before October’s transfer deadline. Another senior centre-back is a must given that Dejan Lovren hasn’t been replaced since his summer move to Zenit Saint Petersburg. They need greater competition for places in that department. Fabinho, who won the decisive penalty after impressing off the bench, is too important as the midfield shield to be used as a makeshift centre-back. “We can do better, we should have done better and we will do better,” vowed Klopp. A full week on the training field at Melwood should certainly help. There is much to sort out with Chelsea away and Arsenal at home on the horizon. Fail to tighten up and Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner will have a field day at Stamford Bridge. When Klopp declared that Liverpool would attack rather than defend the title, some may have taken his words too literally. Thanks to Salah, they got away with it on Saturday but it’s not sustainable. Rediscovering that steely edge is vital for the battles ahead.

Thiago, the man who makes gaps appear https://theathletic.com/2070542/2020/09/17/thiago-liverpool-wijnaldum-formation/?article_source=search&search_query=thiago In the summer of 2004, Liverpool were about as far away from the position they are in now as they could be. A new cycle was beginning under Rafa Benitez. Chelsea were trying to sign Steven Gerrard. The captain needed support in midfield but a deal for Xabi Alonso did not look like it was going to happen. Real Madrid wanted him but they wondered whether he was too slow and ended up messing him around for too long. This created an opportunity for Liverpool. The reports about Alonso started on Merseyside almost as soon as Benitez was appointed. Two and a half months later, he was finally a Liverpool player and Gerrard was still there. He and Jamie Carragher had seen a bit of him on Sky because of Real Sociedad’s rise up the league during the 2002-03 season when the Basques finished second. Keen, established footballers are observers of new signings as much as fans are — but of course, they know better about which smaller details to look out for. To Carragher at least, there was something about the way Alonso tied his bootlaces that reinforced the impression that he might be half decent. Alonso pulled them really tight, like he meant business – in comparison to Igor Biscan who was sitting next to him, it has to be said. Then he adjusted his shin pads, ensuring the top of his training socks were almost at knee level. Out on the grass, Alonso started to make passes. He was unafraid to make difficult choices but always thundered them towards team-mates, testing their touch. As much as he was being watched, he was watching them; trying to gain an understanding of the new technical abilities around him. “Stevie and I knew straight away that Xabi would be a success,” Carragher remembered. What would you pay to watch footage of that session at Melwood? What, indeed, would you pay to watch football of the first session that involves Thiago Alcantara all these years later? There are comparisons to be made between Thiago and Alonso because both have filled the same roles with the same national team as well as Bayern Munich with such distinction. Both have been raised by fathers who were successful professional footballers in La Liga. Though Periko Alonso played a decade earlier than Mazinho, the pair were regarded not only as the brains of enterprising sides from San Sebastian and Vigo but the lungs as well. From a position on the side of a pitch at Bayern’s training facility, Alonso once told me that he appreciated what a footballer looked like because of his experiences helping warming up the reserve goalkeepers of clubs like Tolosa, Beasain and Eibar where his father had managed. He understood what it took to become a footballer and he understood what it took to maintain standards. Weirdly, it was at that point Thiago – then a team-mate in the Bayern midfield – walked past. Alonso embraced him firmly and said as he trotted away, “A player, a player…” Great footballers know other great footballers… Jurgen Klopp has a way with words and it seems now that he really meant it when he said recently that Liverpool would not defend their Premier League crown, they’d instead, “attack it.” The task he faces is a new one in his career because he hasn’t had to sell any of his best players like he did at Borussia Dortmund after each of his Bundesliga titles. Throughout the summer there has been no sense of absence or loss at Anfield. For Klopp, the questions instead are a very different ones: how do you keep improving a world-class team where the individuals are approaching their peak even though they have already won the game’s most coveted prizes? Motivation at a base level should not be a problem but how to you push them to their farthest extreme? Can you get even more out of personalities you already know so well? It will not just be Liverpool’s competing midfielders watching Thiago closely when he puts his boots on at Melwood the first time. Despite his achievements, he’ll be desperate to impress them and in turn they’ll be desperate to impress him. Training standards will increase. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino will be salivating at the thought of the service they’ll be getting. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker will be confident they’ll be receiving better protection because Thiago does that side of the game well too. Though some gaps remain in the squad, the team itself had seemed almost impossible to improve. Only a select few of the world’s best players were capable of making Liverpool’s starting XI better than it already was but Thiago — arguably the best player on the pitch during the Champions League final — will do that. His passing range probably isn’t as extensive as Alonso’s but his shorter game is more incisive and he leaves you with the impression that his movement and thought is quicker in tight spaces. He is always trying to find a way forward. At Bayern, the much taller and rangy Leon Goretzka moved from box to box and Thiago’s responsibility was a deeper one but you could not describe him as a sitting midfielder. So often over the last few seasons especially, his pass has been the one before the assist and this reflects a willingness to join the attack. “He does not wait for the gaps to appear,” reflected Michael Ballack, the former Bayern and Chelsea midfielder. “He makes them appear.” During Liverpool’s briefest of pre-seasons, Klopp has experimented with new team shapes and one of those used was his old 4-2-3-1 formation from his Dortmund days. Perhaps this reveals what he might do with Thiago, who was nevertheless reared at Barcelona, where 4-3-3 is sacred. In the most important games over the last two or three seasons his midfield has been a three of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum and it would appear that the latter’s position will face the most scrutiny following Thiago’s arrival, possibly even leading to a departure. Sources at Liverpool have this morning told the The Athletic that the club’s fourth captain is expected to remain at Anfield until the end of the season, however. Thiago’s signing is untypical of Liverpool because he is a 29-year-old with a status of superstar proportions and this is a club with a history of moulding rather than buying them. Not so long ago, Klopp insisted he did not want to coach Kylian Mbappe but the next Kylian Mbappe. The recruitment of Thiago is hardly a surprise given the length and depth of the conversation about him since he was first linked but his arrival is a departure from Klopp’s original thinking. Despite some impressions of Klopp, he does not subscribe to dogma – nor is he stubborn. This might be perceived as a weakness when really it should be considered a strength. The challenge is always changing in football and nobody predicted COVID-19 or its impact. In those empty stadiums where opponents have been better placed to soak up pressure because of the lack of frustration or urgency from supporters, he must surely have been able to see that Liverpool needed something different in midfield. Thiago changes the schemes of rival managers who might have started believing they understand Klopp better, as well as his already brilliant title-winning team.

Just £5m up front – how Liverpool signed Thiago https://theathletic.com/2070370/2020/09/18/thiago-joins-liverpool-how-the-deal-happened/ It all started with a phone call in June. Thiago Alcantara was close to signing a lucrative new four-year contract with Bayern Munich, worth around £12 million per year (£230,000 per week), when his head was turned. The Spain international was informed that Jurgen Klopp wanted him at Liverpool. A friend of Thiago’s family told The Athletic: “Earlier this year, it seemed certain that he was going to extend his contract with Bayern Munich but then Liverpool’s interest escalated and this suddenly changed everything. “The serious talks only began around three months ago with Liverpool. There has been speculation about Manchester United but Liverpool’s interest was absolutely clear and direct from the beginning. He’s been sure he’s been going there for several months.” Klopp had long since admired Thiago and it soon became clear during their discussions that the feeling was mutual. The 29-year-old playmaker had been on the receiving end of Klopp’s Liverpool juggernaut when Bayern were dumped out of the Champions League’s last 16 in March 2019 after a 3-1 defeat at the Allianz Arena. A few weeks earlier he had been blown away by the atmosphere in a goalless first leg stalemate at Anfield. Watching Liverpool’s march to Premier League title glory in 2019-20 had served to strengthen his desire to one day experience life in England’s top flight. Having enjoyed a trophy-laden seven years in Germany, he informed Bayern he wanted to pursue a new challenge. That new deal was rejected and, having entered the final year of his existing contract, he knew the serial Bundesliga champions would have little option but to sell him. When he said his emotional goodbyes to his team-mates at the end of last season he didn’t think he would be returning to the Sabener Strasse training complex. He had already put his house in Munich up for sale. But Thiago had to be patient. He ended up starting pre-season back at Bayern after this month’s international fixtures. Finally, early on Thursday, he was informed that the finer details of an agreement between Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards and Bayern counterpart Hasan Salihamidzic had been completed. He again said farewell to team-mates and staff, and the Bayern manager Hansi Flick congratulated Klopp on signing “an extraordinary player and a great person”. A source with experience of working with Thiago says: “He is a top guy and one of the most professional players in this world. As for Liverpool, it’s a dream come true for him. The dream for him for years has been the Premier League.” By then, Liverpool’s club doctor Jim Moxon had flown to Munich to oversee his medical. A four-year deal worth around £200,000 per week was already in place. His favoured No 6 shirt was conveniently vacant following Dejan Lovren’s move to Zenit St Petersburg in July. Klopp had secured the services of a man he regards as “a game-changer”. The manager had pushed hard for the deal to get done and ultimately FSG president Mike Gordon and Edwards delivered. For Liverpool, it was always about trying to make the numbers work after revenues were hit heavily by the COVID-19 pandemic. They had long since known that Bayern’s asking price was €30 million (£27 million). Until recently, their stance was that they would only proceed with thrashing out a deal if another central midfielder was to leave the club. Liverpool had been braced for a bid from Barcelona for Georginio Wijnaldum, who has entered the final year of his contract. However, with no offers forthcoming and with the Dutchman not pushing for a transfer, earlier this week Liverpool made their move for Thiago. Edwards is a famously tough negotiator and the passage of time had strengthened Liverpool’s hand. Thiago’s heart was set on Anfield and Bayern were keen for the saga not to overshadow the start to their new season. The breakdown of the fee is extraordinary given the calibre of the player Liverpool have signed. They will pay a guaranteed £20 million with the rest to potentially follow in add-ons related to team success and individual awards. However, The Athletic understands that £20 million will be spread over the course of Thiago’s contract, with an initial outlay of just £5 million. Put into context, Edwards sold striker Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth for £19 million last year. “It’s a fantastic deal for the football club,” says a Liverpool source close to the negotiations. “With Thiago having some time off and then the international fixtures at the start of the month, there was no rush to get it done. Klopp wanted the player, the player wanted Liverpool and Bayern were willing to deal.” It’s a statement signing and the sense of excitement among supporters when the news of a fee being agreed was broken by The Athletic was replicated at Melwood when Klopp’s squad arrived for duty on Thursday. “All the boys were talking about it,” one dressing-room source tells The Athletic. “A signing like this gives everyone a boost. It shows that the club really mean business and extra competition for places puts even more hunger in the squad. “We’re not talking about someone coming in as back-up, we’re talking about an elite player who has won loads of trophies and can really make a big difference on the field. He fits the ilk of the kind of player you want to see Liverpool bring in. “The midfield is one area that Klopp regularly rotates and, with the schedule as it is, the more options we have in there the better.” The signing of Thiago, whose father Mazinho was a World Cup winner with Brazil in 1994, represents a significant departure from the transfer policy that helped Liverpool win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and the title in the space of 13 months. Owner FSG has always favoured a model of investing in younger talent with big potential. Klopp has traditionally elevated players into the world-class bracket rather than bought gems at the peak of their career who didn’t need polishing. Even big-money buys such as Virgil van Dijk and Alisson weren’t serial winners the way Thiago is. In fact, prior to Thiago, the only player over the age of 26 who Liverpool had paid a fee for during Klopp’s reign was Estonian centre-back Ragnar Klavan, a modest £4.2 million stop-gap purchase from Augsburg of Germany in 2016. This wasn’t a signing being pushed over an extended period by Liverpool’s esteemed team of data analysts. In fact, he was outside of their prescribed remit. However, when Edwards asked them to examine the numbers on Thiago, their findings backed up why Klopp was so desperate to bring him on board. His expert range of passing and creative spark are well-known. But just as important to Liverpool was the data in terms of winning back possession and operating in tight spaces by keeping the ball when under pressure. He ticked all the boxes. Thiago suffered a serious knee injury in 2014 which ruled him out for a year but Liverpool had no concerns on that front. He had proved his robust nature by clocking up 220 games for club and country over the past five seasons. The absence of any real sell-on value, given that he will be 33 when his contract runs out, was deemed unimportant given the relatively low transfer fee and the commercial benefits his signing will undoubtedly yield. Shirt sales since Nike took over from New Balance as the club’s kit supplier this summer are already up by more than 20 per cent and Thiago’s arrival is bound to fuel demand further. “The player made a strong, early commitment to come to us,” a senior member of staff at Melwood tells The Athletic. “Looking at the fixture list, we knew we needed depth in midfield. Thiago can play the final ball and that’s something that was missing. He’s also outstanding in terms of being press-resistant and he has a superb football brain.” Klopp and his backroom staff had a drink together in Hotel Gut Brandlhof, close to the picturesque town of Saalfelden, watching the Champions League final during last month’s pre-season training camp in Austria. All eyes were on Thiago, who ran the show and was integral to Bayern’s triumph over Paris Saint-Germain. It was a performance which reinforced Klopp’s belief that he was an elegant player who could give Liverpool a new dimension. Klopp regards him as one of the most complete and balanced midfielders he’s ever seen. He and assistant Pep Lijnders often talk about the need for Liverpool to stay “unpredictable”. They like to keep opponents guessing. It’s why they work to ensure that the style of the team evolves from year to year. So much of their attacking threat currently comes from the wide areas, with the quality provided by full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. But with Thiago on board, they will have someone capable of dissecting defences from central areas. The front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino should be licking their lips. “Improving this title-winning team isn’t easy,” says another senior Melwood source. “But Thiago is one of the few who can. In the end, the deal was a no-brainer.” His presence will give Klopp give greater flexibility in terms of whether to play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. It also makes signing another centre-back to replace Lovren less important, given that Thiago’s presence frees up Fabinho to play in the back line when needs must. Liverpool insist the arrival of Thiago doesn’t mean that another senior midfielder is inevitably on the way out. Wijnaldum has indicated he wants to stay put for the coming season following positive talks with Klopp but a number of fringe men will depart to generate cash. The first of those appears to be Holland youth international Ki-Jana Hoever, who looks set to join Wolves for a fee of over £10 million. “Klopp knows he needs to sell but he wants to as well,” says a source close to the owners. “He’s wary of the squad becoming bloated.” Having suffered at the hands of Bayern cherry-picking the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels and Mario Gotze when he was in charge of German rivals Borussia Dortmund, Klopp has now lured an elite midfielder in his prime away from the new European champions. It’s testament to Klopp’s pulling power and Liverpool’s current status globally. Six years ago, Liverpool’s attempts to sign Toni Kroos involved Brendan Rodgers asking Steven Gerrard to send the Germany midfielder a text message. Thiago had also been linked with Manchester United this summer but although they held discussions with his representatives there were no direct talks with Bayern. He had been pursued by both Arsenal and Chelsea in recent years, too. Bayern put feelers out to those two clubs once again in the hope of creating a bidding war with Liverpool, but it never developed. Sources indicate that other potential suitors were quoted salary demands of £17 million a year (£327,000 per week). Barcelona did consider re-signing him, but swapping Arthur for Juventus’ Miralem Pjanic was deemed a more sensible financial decision. Thiago and his wife, Julia Vigas, had previously expressed a wish to live in London, so when Liverpool became an option some around him weren’t sure if it would appeal to him but he soon put them right. A move to Manchester City and a reunion with Pep Guardiola, who had taken him along in 2013 when he swapped the Nou Camp for Bayern, was never on the cards. “They had a good professional relationship but as with many players under Pep’s management, the experience together was too intense. Very, very few go running back to him,” one source close to the player and to Barcelona explains. Thiago really should have graced the Premier League long before now. In 2013, a deal was effectively done to take him from Barcelona to Manchester United. United had tracked him for years and had a mountain of scouting reports, from his days playing for Spain Under-16s right through to life as a full international. He was 22 and the retiring United manager Sir Alex Ferguson viewed him as one of his two leaving presents to his successor. The other was to bomb out Wayne Rooney following their fallout. However, incoming manager David Moyes decided to keep Rooney and dithered over Thiago. Both the fee and personal terms had been agreed but Moyes got cold feet. He decided that he didn’t feel comfortable spending money on a player he had never seen play live. Moyes even had a clause in his contract that allowed a certain number of private jets each season for watching players. The deal collapsed and Moyes ended up going back to previous club Everton to sign Marouane Fellaini for £27.5 million on deadline day. Moyes had also wanted Cesc Fabregas but that failed to materialise too. Seven years on, Thiago has finally arrived in the Premier League and Klopp’s Liverpool have the show of ambition in the transfer market which will fuel the belief they can retain their crown.

The many regrets of Fernando Torres https://theathletic.com/2065004/2020/09/17/fernando-torres-liverpool-chelsea-regrets-simeone/ If there is a turning point in the arc of Fernando Torres’s career, it becomes clearer in the Amazon Prime documentary about him released tomorrow that it’s not the moment he leaves Liverpool for Chelsea in January 2011. It is 10 months earlier, when he jumps for a header against Benfica at Anfield and falls, immediately feeling a sensation in his knee — “something clicking, out of whack”. It was a World Cup year and Spain were favourites to win it. The tournament was two months away but Torres was not thinking about that 10 minutes into the Europa League quarter-final second leg, especially with Liverpool trailing from the first game in Lisbon. The proof is there, he says, because he remained on the pitch, scoring two goals to help send Rafa Benitez’s side through. “I kept playing because I could.” Half an hour after the final whistle, however, panic had set in. The swelling around his knee had ballooned. With immediate scans inconclusive, it was arranged for him to visit the world-renowned surgeon Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona, only for the appointment to be delayed by the volcanic eruption in Iceland that led to flights being grounded across Europe. Torres decided he still had to travel. It remains unclear whether a chauffeur was involved in the 1,200-mile drive that took nearly the whole weekend, with a Saturday night spent in a hotel outside Paris. It was surely a journey that could not have done his joints much good but at least his wife was there too. Torres was going to go alone before Olalla, nearly halfway through her second pregnancy, insisted that she went as well, along with their first child Nora, who was 10 months old and strapped to a baby seat. Torres was exhausted when he reached Cugat’s clinic late on the Sunday night but within three hours, the operation was done. He told Cugat, “If you have to remove the meniscus entirely, you have to do it. I don’t mind what price, I have to play in the World Cup because I know Spain can win it.” Torres would miss the end of a club campaign where the Europa League trail ended at the semi-final stage against his old team, and first love, Atletico Madrid. More significantly for a club facing acute financial pressures, Liverpool’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League meant the following season would not involve Champions League participation for the first time in seven seasons (they had ended up in the Europa League in 2009-10 because they finished third in their Champions League group). At the time, Torres was accused of prioritising Spain but he insists he had no other option — he would have needed surgery before he was able to represent Liverpool again anyway. By the middle of that April, his focus was entirely on the World Cup. Having left Cugat’s clinic after midnight, he started his rehab at 8am next day. Meanwhile, Vicente del Bosque, Spain’s manager, devised a training plan geared towards a return in the knockout stages in South Africa and Torres agreed it was a “great” idea because “the objective was to be ready for the final”. When Spain lost their opening group game to Switzerland, though, Del Bosque was forced into a rethink. This led to Torres starting against Honduras in the next match, playing for 70 minutes. With a victory required against Chile in the final group game to secure qualification, Torres was selected again in a 2-1 victory. But that 55-minute appearance had a consequence — the next morning, he was draining fluid from his knee. From that point, Torres accepted that he would only be able to play with pain. He lasted less than an hour against both Portugal and Paraguay, and was considered by Del Bosque only fit enough to be brought on late in the semi-final with Germany. He also came off the bench to play a role in the build-up to Andreas Iniesta’s extra-time winner against Holland in the final, but injury forced him to leave the pitch again with seconds remaining. When the final whistle was blown, and Spain became world champions for the first time in their history, Torres was in the dressing room crying tears of regret, not joy. A doctor convinced him to get back out on the pitch and join the celebrations but the footage of him attempting to seem happy is difficult to watch. Later, yet more scans proved Torres had sustained a small tear in his thigh but even a decade on, his advisor Antonio Sanz believes the injury was all in his head because he “could see he could not give his all and it was so overwhelming. It was an emotional muscle”. “It wasn’t how I’d imagined becoming a world champion,” Torres reflects. It was the first time in his life when he doubted whether hard work was always the solution, “whether it was worth it to sacrifice everything for a single moment”. He had thought with his heart rather than his head to get to where he wanted to be. Up until the age of 26, Torres felt capable of achieving anything, but racing to be fit for the 2010 World Cup had changed his mindset. “Looking back now, it might not have been a very smart decision,” says a player who was to leave Anfield for Stamford Bridge six months after that final. Torres does not say it explicitly but you come to appreciate the highest point in his career was two summers earlier, in 2008, when he scored the goal that clinched Spain’s first European Championship in 44 years. That was when he was considered an extremely important figure for Liverpool and Spain. He was respected and loved. He was moderately successful and this meant more people were wanting him to do well than not. Four years later, he was a European champion with Spain for a second time but his reputation had shifted dramatically. Though he had emerged as hugely successful, he was less important for club and country. He was reviled by Liverpool supporters after leaving for Stamford Bridge in early 2011 but when he missed an open goal for Chelsea away to Manchester United, satisfaction did not reside only on Merseyside. Chelsea had ultimately lavished a British record sum on damaged goods. At Liverpool, Torres was another victim of the turmoil that threatened to send the club into administration. He would miss 14 league games, mainly through injury, in 2008-09 as Liverpool came second in the league — some miracle, considering the mess behind the scenes. The following Premier League campaign, he was absent 16 times. These were small, short-term setbacks. The restrictions on Liverpool and the reliance on him meant he would rush back too quickly. He was unable to commit to training as much as he had in the past and, to some team-mates, this translated as a lack of interest. Though he still scored goals, his performances suffered. He was wary of sprinting and pulling up again, so he learnt to adjust his movement. Some supporters translated it as a sign he did not want to be there. In his documentary, Torres says there was a meeting where he was promised that the squad would be improved. He says both Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano were subsequently sold in the same summer — in fact, Alonso went in 2009 and Mascherano a year later, which either shows you that he has blanked 2009-10 from his memory or that, by then, his mind was not really at Liverpool. In fairness to Torres, Mascherano made it clear he was pushing for a move in 2008 as well. Torres wanted to go to Chelsea because he thought it would get him “closer to what I wanted”. After the second takeover at Liverpool in three and a half years, he felt the club had lost its institutional memory — that nobody at a decision-making level off-field was “taking care of Liverpool, the fans or the players”. He thought it would be a long way back, believing the team had regressed dramatically since his arrival. His injuries had accelerated his sense of haste, making him realise that his body would not wait forever for him to realise his sporting ambitions. In three and a half seasons at Anfield, where he arrived as the club’s record signing, his 81 goals yielded no trophies. There is special resentment for Damien Comolli, appointed as director of football in November 2010, because he supposedly made it quite clear to Torres that money generated from his potential sale would increase Liverpool’s options in the transfer market. Torres wanted winners’ medals but nobody at Liverpool was capable of convincing him they would arrive any time soon. Not only that, but his departure was also potentially viewed as a significant feature of a major rebuilding programme. Perhaps Torres sounds naive. “I felt they stabbed me in the back,” he says, referring to the way his private discussions with club officials were framed in the press — where there were no suggestions that anyone else other than Torres wanted a separation. Five years later, during the long-running battle between Mill Financial, former owner George Gillett and the Royal Bank of Scotland, a New York courtroom heard that both Torres and goalkeeper Pepe Reina were viewed by Fenway Sports Group as “probably beyond their primes”. Given that, you can understand a little more why he felt a sense of betrayal and subsequently handed in a transfer request to push his exit closer. Chelsea proved to be the most successful period of Torres’s career, winning the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League, but he says it was his least happy one. Doubts about his physical capacity and even his ability crept into his consciousness. There was fear, “feelings I’ve never had before”. Though he clings onto the goal in Barcelona that sent Chelsea through to their first Champions League final victory as an outstanding memory and proof of his contribution towards the club’s history, it is not mentioned that even without his stoppage-time effort securing a 2-2 draw, they’d probably have gone through on away goals anyway. He had felt a sense of belonging at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. But at Chelsea, he was just another player with no defined role in the hierarchy of the dressing room. “I didn’t know how to earn that spot and they didn’t create it for me,” he says. The documentary — Fernando Torres: The Last Symbol — is directed primarily towards the Spanish market where his nickname remains “El Nino” (The Kid), even though he is now 36 years old and has retired from playing. It would be interesting to hear what Diego Simeone thinks of such a title, considering how woven his personality is into the psyche of Atletico Madrid. There was conflict, too, in the pair’s relationship, as revealed by the documentary. Simeone was behind Torres’s return to Atletico from AC Milan in 2016 before leaving for Japanese club Sagan Tosu in 2018. But there is a sense the Argentinian would have let him leave again sooner had it not been for the intervention of the club’s president, who called a meeting when Simeone rather abruptly announced that Torres would not be receiving a new contract offer. Torres had idolised Simeone as a child but he assumed the role of captain ahead of him when they were team-mates between 2003 and 2005. Responsibilities and moods had changed considerably by the time Torres moved to Japan. Torres offered the impression that Simeone lacked empathy and communication skills. “The only way to engage with him is through hard work,” he says. Torres appears to be holding back words in the documentary… the same, it is fair to say, cannot be said about his long-time advisor. Sanz practically spits out Simeone’s name when he talks about what went wrong. Torres could just about accept being on the bench for matches but Simeone sometimes left him out of squads altogether, the striker says, without any explanation. Simeone, who contributes to the documentary, says he and Torres had a “very sincere” conversation in front of Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin and this helped the situation — though Torres does not back that feeling up. He would leave Atletico a few months later as a double Europa League winner and having scored twice in his final home game in La Liga — 17 years after his first goal, aged just 17. The gap is a reminder that Torres spent as much time in his career at other clubs as he did at Atletico. Away from Madrid, he certainly came to symbolise something in each of the places he went to but not necessarily in a positive way (as the name of the documentary implies). Torres takes satisfaction from his status at Atletico but his story there is a theme of unfulfillment and sadness. It is a recurring pattern. He considered retiring in 2016, but only if Atletico beat Real Madrid in the Champions League final, which he describes as “the most important match of my career”, eclipsing anything he achieved with Spain. They lost on penalties. He will also only ever be able to wonder what it was like to win La Liga, a feat engineered by Simeone two years earlier. This was at a point in Torres’s career when Jose Mourinho did not make him feel wanted at Chelsea. Torres is serious, introverted and modest, but he was always aware of his talent and value. Critics might combine such characteristics and conclude that he lacks charisma. It would be understandable if his personality suffered as a consequence of a rise that was so early and rapid that any natural course of development would have been impossible for a teenager put in that position. Atletico were in the second division when he entered their first team. He became not only a symbol of hope but also an object of public property. His experiences have been incredible but they have also been very narrow and, ultimately, marginalising. The same could be said of Michael Owen, though he has never seemed to understand why Liverpool supporters would object to him signing for Manchester United. Torres, at least, seems to appreciate why his name in Merseyside (in some quarters) still summons a very different spirit compared to Madrid. In Spain, he would never have signed for Real Madrid despite the efforts of different presidents. In England, he would never have signed for United. Now, he realises the pool of clubs that both wanted and could have afforded him was small in 2011 but, on reflection, it would have been better for his reputation had he moved to another country. On Tuesday morning, Amazon hosted a press conference with Torres at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium via a private online feed and he was asked about what he symbolises away from the club he loves. He described his relationship with Liverpool as a brief but intense one and reasoned that whenever there is an end like his, there is a feeling of rejection and rage. He believes Liverpool’s fanbase now understands better why he chose to leave but admits the supporters’ treatment of him “hurt”… but only “because I could not stop loving them”. Had he been a supporter — with the club slanting his departure as solely his responsibility — “I would have heckled as well”. But he stresses: “My affection for Liverpool remains even if they never forgive me.” It is wondered in Madrid whether he’ll return to Atletico one day as president — or even as a replacement for Simeone — though he insists, “It will be years until I am ready and trained.” For the first time in his adult life, it does not feel as if he is in a rush — the sort that came to undermine his rise as a footballer where he went in pursuit of success only to realise it did not bring satisfaction. “Throughout my career, I always thought when I left football and looked back years later, I’d remember the trophies,” he says. “I didn’t realise how wrong I was.”

Ralf Rangnick Q&A: ‘I’ve rarely seen a 17-year-old at Bellingham’s level’ https://theathletic.com/2070793/2020/09/18/ralf-rangnick-bundesliga-preview-leipzig-bellingham-dortmund-bayern/ Ralf Rangnick is one of the most important innovators in German football, an early proponent of the pressing and gegenpressing game. During his eight years in leading roles at the Red Bull group, he either coached or signed countless star players, including Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita and Timo Werner, and he has also inspired a network of similarly-minded coaches such as Roger Schmidt, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and Marco Rose. The 62-year-old, who recently stepped down from his position as chief director of global football at the Red Bull group, spoke to The Athletic about the impending Bundesliga season, the difference between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and ways to make the league more competitive. How impressed were you with Bayern winning the Champions League in August, especially with their pressing game? Ralf Rangnick: They simply continued doing in Europe what they had been doing in Germany since Hansi Flick’s appointment. They have a fantastic squad — but that was the case before, too, under Niko Kovac. But in terms of team tactics, they now play at the highest level, irrespective of being in possession or without. The combination of so much quality and excellent organisation made them tough to beat and their win was totally deserved. This Champions League showed that those teams with great individuals but who do not address all different facets of the game or don’t have a clearly-defined playing style, can’t quite do it. It’s not enough anymore. I felt that Bayern’s positional game in Lisbon was perhaps not quite as refined as it was under Pep Guardiola but that didn’t seem to be a disadvantage, necessarily: Bayern seemed better equipped for the turnover in possession as a result. They anticipated losing the ball more than during the Pep years, when those long passing combinations maybe sometimes led to a loss of focus and being too open when one ball went astray unexpectedly. RR: Yes. That’s the difference, ultimately. Liverpool, Bayern, even Paris Saint-Germain, in spells, have that ability to switch from playing with the ball to pressuring the opponents without it instantly. You could see in the final though that Bayern’s high-pressing game was much more automated and internalised, whereas defending aggressively was not something PSG were that all that used to. Both sides could have scored but Bayern were just a little better. Is there any chance that they won’t win a ninth straight title in the Bundesliga? RR: If they continue playing the way they have this year, I can’t see why they wouldn’t. It’s still largely the same team, plus Leroy Sane up front, and the same coaching staff. Why should they win fewer games? But how come Bayern don’t seem to suffer any hangovers from all that winning? There’s just no complacency. Do their players have higher levels of intrinsic motivation or is it the club culture? Either way, they don’t let up. RR: Last season, in autumn, they were vulnerable. But they have a squad packed with players who want to win all the time — Joshua Kimmich gets angry if he loses a practice game — which is why I don’t see their appetite being diminished. I don’t see their tactics changing, either. I saw Jose Mourinho saying Spurs had played a “lazy pressing” the other day. Jose is absolutely right. You either press with full conviction or you will fail in your attempt to immediately win back the ball. Bayern’s identity is to press so aggressively that most teams simply can’t deal with it and fall apart. They force them to make mistakes. Losing the ball in the final third is no big deal for them because it comes with the chance of winning it back again immediately. Add that to the other things you mention and the combination is pretty devastating for the other team. Their coaching staff is excellent as well. Their fitness coach Holger Broich was at Leverkusen before. He’s superb. Assistant coach Danny Rohl was with us at RB for seven, eight years and with Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton. He’s perfectly versed in the game against the ball. Their squad planning has been brilliant, too. Alphonso Davies is probably the best left-back in the world right now. It’s a joy watching him play. So is watching Borussia Dortmund, when they’re really on it. Can they challenge? RR: They haven’t lost anyone apart from Achraf Hakimi and brought in some very good players once more. Jude Bellingham — we don’t really have to talk about him. He already showed in the 5-0 win against Duisburg in the DFB Pokal what he can do. They have the second-best squad, well-equipped to get close to Bayern and make life difficult for them. But in order to do that, they need to work on the things that led to them finishing behind last season and the one before. Everyone has the same problem, however: they need to find the same level of consistency throughout the season. Leipzig had a very good first half of the season, Dortmund a very good second half — but that’s not enough against a Bayern side who will very likely continue to be nearly perfect. Dortmund can reach a similar level but to really threaten, they need to go beyond playing good football in possession to being able to defend as a team, especially in the big games, against bigger teams. They couldn’t do that and that’s why they didn’t win when it came down to it in the league and in the Champions League, and also against Werder Bremen in the cup (Dortmund were knocked out in the round of 16 with a 3-2 loss at the Weserstadion). Unless that changes, the results won’t either, even though their individual class is tremendous. I’m fascinated by the dynamics between tactics and team mentality. Dortmund play sublime football in attack but their passive approach in defence, based on sitting back in midfield and waiting for a turnover, can sometimes veer towards a bit of apathy. They frequently don’t show up in some of the big games but also some of the smaller ones as well. Is that fair? RR: There’s always a danger if there’s too much emphasis on playing nice football, fair-weather football. Arsenal had a similar tendency under Arsene Wenger, at least in his later years. If you let BVB play, they have fun, putting some wonderful moves together. But without that aggression, organisation and commitment to getting the ball back, it’s almost impossible to compete at the ultimate top level because you’ll eventually run into teams who’ll do both parts of the game extremely well. Without any meaningful pressure, they will find a way to play through you. I’m very interested to see how BVB will fare against Gladbach on Saturday because they do make it difficult. What about the other top sides? RR: Leverkusen and Leipzig have to compensate for two important players each leaving. Kai Havertz, Kevin Volland, Timo Werner, Patrik Schick… doing without them will be quite tough. It’s not a given that Leipzig will be able to repeat their strong performances in the first half of last season. A lot will have to work out for them to challenge Bayern’s dominance. Qualifying for the Champions League again must be their main aim. Everything on top of that would be an unexpected success. Can Borussia Monchengladbach cope with playing in the Champions League? They’re quite young and not used to it. RR: Why not? They managed to keep their team together, which is why I trust them to play just as well under Marco Rose — who I know very well from his time at RB Salzburg — as they did last season. They can go even further. The squad is very well put together. Gladbach are also a club that keep calm when setbacks occur. They got knocked out in the Europa League and the cup but there was no nervousness or tension. Everyone remained cool. Max Eberl (sporting director) and the other people in charge there don’t let the odd negative result get to them. That’s a very healthy environment in which to develop in. I think they’ll make top four again. But Leverkusen will come close, too. And VfL Wolfsburg and Hertha BSC? RR: I believe that both of them will be able to achieve a place between sixth and eighth. The quality of the Wolfsburg squad has not changed that much and Hertha has become stronger thanks to the arrival of Matheus Cunha. What about the relegation battle? RR: I find it hard to imagine that Bielefeld will stay up. I fear for Koln a little bit. They need to watch out. Schalke face another tough season. Stuttgart have a decent chance of staying up. Then, there’s Bremen… You didn’t mention Augsburg and Mainz. RR: If Mainz present themselves as a united team, I am confident that they will have a good season because of the quality of their players and their coach Achim Beierlorzer. Freiburg, Augsburg: they can all get sucked down but I’d expect them to amass enough points early on to be okay. What young or largely unknown players are you most looking forward to seeing play? RR: Bellingham. He’s an absolute top player; one of the best. I have rarely seen a 17-year-old playing at such a level. We scouted him for 18 months at RB. He’s simply extraordinary. Erling Haaland is sensational as well. Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara, Ibrahima Konate and Tyler Adams are all top level and will show that. And finally, the most difficult question of all. What can the Bundesliga do to be more competitive at the very top? Bayern are already the wealthiest side and seem to be getting stronger, while everybody else has problems holding on to their best players… RR: We are the only league that restricts investment with the 50+1 rule (stipulating control by a club’s members). If you want to compete with other leagues, I don’t see any other way but to make it possible to attract investment into the clubs. Money doesn’t guarantee sustained success — you still need to spend it well —but we should at least discuss ways to modify 50+1 to increase competitiveness. In my opinion, there’s no other way to bridge these huge divides within the league. Half the league is basically happy if they don’t end up fighting against relegation. They have no realistic chance of challenging the top sides. To be honest, it’s not that different in the Premier League but they do have more sides who can attract top international talents and don’t have to sell to each other. And there should be a title race. Manchester City and Liverpool are excellent but Chelsea have invested a lot of money, and they have invested well, in really good, young players. You can see a plan there, you can see where they want to go and how they want to get there. There’s a corporate identity. But back to the Bundesliga. If you want to stop them losing more of their best players and falling behind, you will have to address the issue of money — there’s just no two ways about it. I don’t see this debate taking place at the moment.