Three Liverpool players that need to go on loan this January

A change in manager always gives players a chance to impress and potentially increase their time on the pitch, which will have been taken on board by the Liverpool squad upon Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield.

However, with the January transfer window up upon us, the former Borussia Dortmund trainer will have one eye on potential new faces.

Klopp will have had time to weigh up the group that he inherited from Brendan Rodgers and it is becoming increasingly clear that a host of players seem destined to spend the rest of the campaign on the fringes if they stay at Liverpool.

As such, these three current Reds would be advised to potentially look for a new temporary employer to increase their chances of playing in the second half of 2015-16…

Joe Allen

A firm favourite of Rodgers, the Wales international has not been given much time on the pitch by the new manager and is firmly behind Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Lucas Leiva and Emre Can in the pecking order.

There is a case to suggest that Allen may well even leave Anfield permanently over the next month, but any chance he has of reviving his Liverpool career seems based around playing more football.

Surely plenty of Premier League sides would jump at the chance to taken the former Swansea man on loan for the remainder of the campaign and allow him the opportunity to feature.

Wales will also rely on the 25-year-old at Euro 2016 in the summer, with an Anfield exit seeming like a necessary step over the next month.

Jordan Rossiter

Football – Preston North End v Liverpool – Pre Season Friendly – Deepdale – 14/15 , 19/7/14Jordan Rossiter – Liverpool Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Paul CurrieEDITORIAL USE ONLY.

Tipped to be a future Liverpool stalwart and spoken of in high regard, Rossiter is on the cusp of senior football and needs a chance to be thrown into the deep end.

Like Allen, opportunities in central midfield have been something of a commodity for the 18-year-old, who has been on the bench and out of the picture largely since Klopp’s arrival.

A move to a Championship club would be a positive decision for the teenager and allow him a chance to refine his skills and add experience.

This would also allow Rossiter to return to Liverpool ahead of next season as a player with a claim for a place in the Reds team.

Cameron Brannagan

Another promising young star coming through the ranks at Anfield, Brannagan is an England under-20’s international and player tipped to have a bright future in the game.

The 19-year-old playmaker has been afforded the opportunity to play in the Capital One Cup this season but could well face the prospect of no more senior football this term if he stays at Anfield.

Brannagan seems like another ideal candidate for a switch to a willing Championship side, with the exertions of playing week-in, week-out surely a real benefit to the starlet’s progression.

With Liverpool overloaded with attacking midfield players in their senior squad, a change of scenery for six months would do the teenager good.

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QPR’s dream end of January XI

Hasselbaink has had a pretty poor start to his time with QPR and it has only got worse as the R’s have lost Charlie Austin in the January transfer window.

If the Dutchman is to help fix his club’s woes then it will be crucial that they reinvest properly in this transfer window, too. Losing a star player can do a huge amount of damage to a Championship level side and Hasselbaink will need to turn things around after this window to prove that he can cut it at a higher level, after impressing as manager of Burton.

Promotion is a distant hope at this moment in time, but, with how quickly things can change in the Championship, it would be foolish to rule anything out, regardless of how poor the form has been for the West London club.

Could this be the XI to help the R’s make it back to the big time?

Alex Smithies

With Rob Green likely to be on his way out of the club this window, Alex Smithies looks like he is set to maintain his spot as QPR number one.

James Perch

This ex-Newcastle man has been remaining optimistic around the media after QPR’s recent poor form and is one of the ideal utility players in the Championship.

Perch could feature in the XI in almost any position.

Nedum Onuoha

Onuoha has never really matched the potential that he had when he was at Manchester City but is a player that is comfortably good enough for Championship football.

Able to cover at full-back Onuoha is a valuable member of the squad.

Joleon Lescott

With Aston Villa’s woes throughout this campaign, Lescott wouldn’t be at fault if he was looking to move on in this window and the ex-Manchester City centre-back would be able to provide crucial experience to the QPR squad.

Paul Konchesky

Another player with years of Premier League experience, Konchesky is a reliable left-back and has been well suited to his role in this QPR side.

The former Charlton man has featured in 28 games this season.

Alejandro Faurlin

After some horrible injuries, Faurlin is back to the quality midfield performances that he was producing a few seasons ago.

The Argentine central midfielder has a reassuring presence in the middle of the park.

Vurnon Anita

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Considering the signing of Jonjo Shelvey, Anita’s role in the Newcastle squad is now under threat and, if Premier League clubs overlook him, he would be a stunning signing for any Championship club.

The Dutchman, like Perch, is a very versatile player and would be a brilliant technician for the Championship.

Matt Phillips

After his wonder strike in the Premier League last season, it is a surprise that Philipps has stayed at QPR and Hasselbaink would do well to keep his flying winger at the club in this window.

Massimo Luongo

This Australian midfielder has the most assists in the entirety of the QPR squad and is a dominating player in the centre of their side.

Luongo is crucial to making the Rs tick and will need to perform in the second half of his career.

Enzo Crivelli

With competition for his signature believed to be very high, Crivelli would be quite a coup for QPR.

A young forward with this level of promise would be quite an addition for the fans at Loftus Road and could step into Charlie Austin’s boots.

Conor Washington

QPR looked to League One when they needed to replace Charlie Austin and Washington comes into the squad with a huge amount of pressure.

If the ex-Posh star can’t find the net on a regular basis the decision makers at QPR may move him on rather quickly.

Is this Southampton star the latest to outgrow the club?

Fraser Forster has been a regular name on the lips of England fans since 2012 when he was first called up to the England squad After making his name as Celtic’s answer to Hadrian’s Wall, he decided to silence those questioning his ability by making the move south of the border to Southampton, where, up to his injury in March, he had a league best of 11 clean sheets, and was one of the hottest ‘keepers in the Premier League.

Fast forward 10 months, and Forster has capped his return with six shut outs in seven appearances. With that kind of form, could Forster be on the move to a bigger team in the summer?

With Forster already being well known in world football, it is no wonder he could become one of the most sought after goalkeepers around. On 7th November 2012, Forster caught the attention of Barcelona, with the Catalonians nicknaming him ‘La Gran Muralla’ or ‘The Great Wall’. It was in this appearance that Forster helped the Hoops to that famous 2-1 win that saw Rod Stewart cry his eyes out with joy.

It wasn’t just on the European scene that Forster was excelling, as in February 2014 he set a new cub record of 11 clean sheets in a row. Then he continued to break records, keeping out opposition for 1,256 matches, illustrating the Englishman’s class.

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It was this good form which had attracted the attention of not just the Spanish press, but Roy Hodgson as well as both Manchester clubs. For the man from Hexham, his qualities were finally being recognised by he elite, and he looked to be threatening Joe Hart’s role as England’s No.1.

A move to Southampton soon followed, where he provided a much-needed safe pair of hands. With the solid partnership of Jose Fonte and Toby Alderweireld in front of him, Forster helped provide some consistency, something that his predecessors, Artur Boruc and Kelvin Davis, could not provide. Although he got injured, he helped to take Saints to their highest finish of seventh, highlighting just how important he had been to the team.

Whether or not he moves in the summer will all come down to what seemingly will be the biggest transfer merry-go-round for goalkeepers ever. As already mentioned, Forster has attracted the attention of both Manchester clubs, so if David de Gea or Hart should move, then he could see himself transferred.

Similarly at Liverpool, if Jurgen Klopp misses out on his targets such as Marc-Andre ter Stegen, then Forster could see himself follow ex-Saints players Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren to Merseyside. Liverpool are in need of the solidity that Forster provides, with Simon Mignolet a walking error zone.

Arsenal too could benefit from having a good back-up to Petr Cech, with David Ospina and Wojciech Szczęsny being too inconsistent for Arsene Wenger’s liking.

If Forster can keep fit and continue to perform for Saints, there is no reason why he cannot move on to a bigger side in the summer.

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Why West Ham forward is the exact opposite to Spurs, Liverpool and Leicester stars and how it’s a good thing

The form of West Ham United forward Andy Carroll in recent weeks has prompted suggestions the towering striker could be on course for a shock inclusion in the England squad for Euro 2016.

In every single way imaginable, the former Liverpool man represents almost the complete opposite to what captured the imagination of the nation when the Three Lions beat Germany recently.

The emergence of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy on the international stage, two men who plied their trade lower down the leagues and have to earn a right in the squad, sent us into raptures as both scored excellent goals on that great night in Berlin.

That is not say Carroll does not work hard, clearly he does, but the 26-year old had fame and recognition thrust on him as a relative novice.

Having played 11 games for Newcastle United in the Premier League, he was a £35m signing for Liverpool as they looked to replace Fernando Torres.

Unlike the aforementioned pair, he was suddenly forced into the spotlight when he wasn’t ready and the attention proved to weigh heavily upon his broad shoulders.

In terms of playing style too, he doesn’t posses the pace of Vardy or the all-action dynamism of Kane.

However, perhaps the fact he such an opposite to the other forwards likely to travel with Roy Hodgson to France could serve him well.

Exceptional in the air, he’s a traditional centre-forward in the old fashioned mode. When pitted against a more continental style defence, as he did against Arsenal and scored a scintillating hat-trick, he is almost certain to get on the end of crosses.

Would that not be a useful option against teams or don’t often deal with players like that? What’s the point in taking off Danny Welbeck for Daniel Sturidge late on if the former wasn’t being effectively dealt with?

Hodgson may as well change systems entirely in order to change games late on.

For that, there are few better options than Andy Carroll.

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Euro 2016 Group D preview

Group D – Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey

Prediction: Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic

The European Championships always throw up competitive group stages – even in the new, bulked-up format. And although group D is yet another competitive group, it is perhaps a group that would have looked much more like a group of death in the 2008 installment of the competition rather than this one.

Spain’s abysmal World Cup campaign in 2014 has forced Vicente Del Bosque into a bit of a rethink this year.

Big names like Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta remain in the squad for the defending champions, but they’re joined by new, yet on-form faces such as Nolito, Aritz Aduriz and Saul Niguez. Spain may have had a poor 2014 World Cup, but the defending European Champions will not be as poor this year as they were in 2014. They have a solid defence, their iconic crop of midfield passers, and two in-form strikers in Aritz Aduriz and Alvaro Morata. They’ll remain as fearsome as they have been for the last decade, and the domination of Spanish clubs over European club competition testifies to that.

Elsewhere in this group, Croatia, Turkey and the Czech Republic are undergoing their own squad refreshes.

Croatia are the favourites to progress in second along with Spain. They keep producing wonderful footballing talent, and for a nation as small as Croatia, it’s an impressive feat. Gone are the days of Davor Suker and Alen Boksic, Nico Kovac, and Ivica Olic, but replacing them in the current crop are the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Alen Halilovic of Barcelona, Mateo Kovacic and Luka Modric of Real Madrid, Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic of Inter Milan, and Mario Mandzukic of Juventus.

Not only are these players top talents, but they play for top clubs. The only worry is over the defence, one in which veterans Vedran Corluka and Darijo Srna will have to be at their best.

The Czech Republic and Turkey are the weaker two in the group. Interestingly, these two teams competed in the same qualifying group for the Euros. The Czechs won that group (Group A) and Turkey only managed to enter through the play-off route, knocking out The Netherlands in the process. Though the Czechs won the group, the Turks did win the most recent game between the two nations 2-0.

The Czechs are weaker than in previous tournaments, with the only household names in the team arguably Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech and outgoing Gunners midfielder, Thomas Rosicky.

Turkey, meanwhile, have an exciting crop of young talent coming through. This might be a tournament too early for the likes of Gokhan Tore, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Yunus Malli to really make their mark, but these are exciting players supplemented by the more experienced players like Arda Turan and Nuri Sahin. Their youth perhaps explains their relatively slow start to qualifying almost two seasons ago where they won only one of their first four games, but as their young players grew in experience, Turkey started to win. They’ll come into the tournament on form and in confidence.

Watch out for: a lot of new names, young stars making their mark, some genuinely big stars in world football.

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Injury list grows ahead of Euro 2016

This summer’s European Championships in France have been eagerly anticipated by players and supporters alike for months in the build up to the competition. However, the increasing list of absentees from the tournament now means that managers are being left with selection headaches leading up to their final squad announcements later this month. The recent news that Belgium’s Vincent Kompany will miss the entirety of Euro 2016 adds to the already significant group of some of Europe’s biggest names that will not be representing their nation come June.

The likes of Italy’s Marco Verratti and German duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ilkay Gundogan are just some of the major names missing out on the tournament in which hosts France are currently the 11/4 favourites with bookmakers Coral to claim glory on their home turf. Didier Deschamps’ men however are not without problems themselves and will be missing the talents of Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema as a result of his ongoing dispute with the French Football Federation. Long term injuries also mean that Les Bleus will be without defensive duo Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte.

As far as Roy Hodgson and England are concerned, the return of fit again Jack Wilshere looks set to make the Arsenal man a certain inclusion in the squad for the summer. England are 5/6 with Coral to win Group B and progress to the latter stages of the tournament, and will be looking to the likes of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy to provide the goals to fire them to glory. Tottenham’s Kane is 14/1 with Coral to follow in the footsteps of Alan Shearer and become the tournament’s leading goal scorer. Shearer also will be reporting on the Euros for Coral and will certainly be hoping his side can claim an historic first European Championship title.

Danny Welbeck came off injured in his side’s recent draw with Manchester City and will not be fit in time. The former Manchester United man looked on worryingly from the side-lines at the Etihad, with his absence offering hope to Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge. Indeed, Sturridge is now 1/6 on in the Euro 2016 tips with Coral to be on the plane to France with England this summer despite an inconsistent campaign.

Five stars Arsenal should pinch from their Premier League rivals

Daley Blind has recently been linked with a move to Arsenal and it looks as though the Dutch versatility player will be on the move this summer as Jose Mourinho begins a summer clear out before he spends more money than anyone could possibly imagine.

Blind was superb for Manchester United last season and, for that reason, it would be United’s loss just as much as it would be Arsenal’s gain.

A truly gifted player on the ball with the tactical awareness to compensate for both his lack of pace and smaller than desirable stature, there is something so Arsene Wenger about Daley Blind.

Wenger is not one to spend big too often, but surely the opportunity to snatch a few of the Premier League’s best players from his rivals is an opportunity that is simply too good to miss.

Weakening your opponents and strengthening your own team sure seems like a good deal, so here are FIVE Premier League stars Arsenal should target…

Kelechi Iheanacho

If Pep Guardiola is to persist in trying to find another centre-forward, Kelechi Iheanacho may reasonably assume that he shan’t be seeing much first team action next season.

With Welbeck injured and Giroud limited, Iheanacho could be the shock big money signing of the summer if Wenger is willing to be patient on his development.

Having proven himself as a goal scorer at the top level, the Nigerian has all the attributes to become a magnificently rounded forward.

Memphis Depay

There’s a lot about Memphis Depay that is just very un-Mourinho and that may well see him leave Old Trafford this summer.

Despite a hugely underwhelming first season in the Premier League, he would still be a player worth taking a punt on.

Quality does not just disappear over the course of 12 months and, considering he is still a developing player, Wenger should ponder a move for the Dutchman.

Roberto Firmino

Liverpool and Klopp are probably not even considering selling Roberto Firmino this summer, but he would be the ideal player to complete the attacking midfield trio with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

A regular goal scorer whose movements in the final third often put him in a finishing position, Firmino provides so much more of a rounded game than any of Chamberlain, Welbeck or Walcott.

Ashley Williams

Williams links to a big move seem very 2013, don’t they?

Well, after several stellar performances at the Euros they may well be about to resurface with dramatic results.

A wise head, Williams offers leadership qualities that are so often bemoaned at Arsenal.

John Stones

With centre-backs still high on the agenda at Arsenal, an English Rolls-Royce of a ball-player would be one of the first on their wishlist, you’d imagine.

Okay, Stones isn’t quite in Roller territory just yet, but his calm nature in possession and ability to read the game seem like the ideal assets for a Wenger defender and would be nicely complement by the more defensively-minded Koscielny.

Four West Ham wonderkids set to take the Premier League by storm…

West Ham’s famed Academy is once again producing the players that once graced the claret and blue in previous decades.

Their development is raising eyebrows among football’s top table and most glance an envious eye over the talent edging towards the first team.

Josh Cullen, Reece Oxford and Reece Burke are just a few of the players gaining a reputation for their play, but equally the club have invested in some unique talent as well.

With the depth of the squad at it’s strongest in years, Slaven Bilic will need all of his man management skills to keep everyone happy, but with a possible lengthy run in Europe and the domestic cups, plus a long arduous Premier League season as well, every player will earn his stripes at some point.

So who are the four that will be knocking on the manager’s door this season? Here are four young Hammers ready to go and eager to play…

Martin Samuelsen

Signed from Manchester City last summer, the 19-year-old has already made more than a great impression at West Ham and on loan at Peterborough last season. The full Norway international played in the early rounds of the Europa League last year and is one for the future.

In an interview on the whufc.com site, Samuelson said that he had learnt a lot from playing in League One: “With Peterborough in League One, I’ve learnt the tough side of the game; the physical side, that every game means something.

“People are fighting for their lives. It was a good experience for me and I think I’m a stronger person and better player from it.”

Domingos Quina

The ex-Chelsea youngster feared he would never be handed a chance to shine at Stamford Bridge and  subsequently cut off all ties on his return from international duty with Portugal’s U17s earlier this year.

The deal taking him to east London should be regarded as a real coup for  Slaven Bilic, with a number of top Premier League sides chasing the  attacking midfielder.

Quina signed on as a scholar at West Ham meaning no fee has to be paid, although he will be able to agree his first professional deal with the Hammers once he turns 17.

Quina has caught the eye with his penchant for a dazzling dribble and fleet-footed skills. Deployed predominantly as a No.10, his pace and poise means he is equally adept out wide or as part of a front three.

The ex-Blues’ youngster is capable of some spectacular strikes from distance and caught the eye of major Premier League clubs.

Toni Martinez

West Ham signed the teenager from Valencia on a three-year contract this summer. The 19-year-old Spain U17 international cost £2.4m with Valencia reserving the right to first refusal if West Ham decide to sell the frontman, who Hammers boss Slaven Bilic has previously referred to as ‘one of the brightest talents from Valencia’, further down the line.

Martinez, a prolific goalscorer for Valencia’s youth team, will initially link up with West Ham’s development squad but hopes to break into the first team and run out at the Olympic Stadium next season.

The Murcia-born frontman, who was also part of the Spain U19 squad which won the 2015 UEFA European Championship title, featured eight times for Valencia in the UEFA Youth League last season, scoring once and recording three assists as his side reached the Round of 16 before being eliminated on penalties by Chelsea.

Ashley Fletcher

Recently signed from Manchester United, Fletcher is another to escape the big clubs in search of playing time and further development of their career.

The 20-year-old shone whilst on loan at Barnsley last season, scoring nine goals in 27 appearances  and was snapped on a free transfer by Bilic, who is seemingly building a dynasty at the Olympic Stadium.

The England U20 international hopes to make an impression on West Ham boss Bilic during the remainder of West Ham’s tour of Austria as he spies a spot in the Croatian’s European squad.

His time could come quicker than he imagined, as The Hammers prepare for Europa League action in the coming days.

Mega-money Frenchman’s Man United future under Mou already in doubt – ex-Chelsea ace

Anthony Martial is “doomed” under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, with the Frenchman’s style not suited to his new manager’s approach, according to ex-Chelsea forward Tony Cascarino.

The 20-year-old attacker grabbed headlines when he joined the Red Devils as the summer 2015 transfer deadline approached, signing for the Old Trafford club in a £36m deal from Monaco (a record fee for a teenager) that may eventually rise to £58m with eventual add-ons.

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Martial impressed under Louis van Gaal during the Dutchman’s last season in Manchester and initially it appeared he would be key for Mourinho also.

Indeed, Martial started Man United’s first three Premier League matches of the new season but was axed from the XI on Saturday as ‘Mou’s’ men were beaten by bitter rivals Manchester City.

And writing for The Times, Cascarino has given his take on the situation, claiming the youngster doesn’t suit Mourinho’s approach:

“Anthony Martial is doomed at Manchester United. He is out of the team and could be the latest wide man to fall victim to Jose Mourinho’s management.

“The defeat by City exemplified Mourinho’s issue with wingers. He wants them to be runners, thinking as much — if not more — about tracking their full back as they do about attacking. If they have a decent crossing ability then that helps.

“Essentially he wants them to be like Willian, his go-to man at Chelsea. Martial doesn’t fit that mould and therefore didn’t start.”

Cascarino went on to talk about other wingers that have struggled under Mourinho:

“Martial struggling under Mourinho would not be the first time that we’ve seen the Portuguese waste talent out wide.

“Damien Duff, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Andre Schurrle and Juan Cuadrado are all talented players but they failed to fulfil their potential — and big transfer fees — during Mourinho’s time at Chelsea.

“Even Eden Hazard and Arjen Robben, two of the best wingers of the past decade, have suffered under ‘the Special One’.”

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Can Sunderland escape relegation once again?

Sunderland’s annual flirtation with relegation is edging increasingly close to becoming a fully fledged affair with the Championship. For the majority of the seasons since Martin O’Neill left the club, the Black Cats have had to pull off last ditch relegation escapes. Teeth gritting performances have wrestled them away from danger on numerous occasions and this has often been accompanied by the appointment of a new, short-term manager.

The brief hope under O’Neill that Sunderland could become something more than a bottom-half side was short lived. A 13th placed finish in 2011/12 was followed by the nearest of relegation misses in 2012/13 and that has, on the whole, been the norm ever since.

Under David Moyes, Sunderland have notched a grand total of two points from their first eight Premier League games. Scoring only six goals along the way and conceding 15, Moyes’ side have failed offensively and been fortunate not to concede more. The failings of the current side are tricky to address with the squad available and, despite what Moyes may say publicly, there are few signs of improvement. To give a real indication of their woes offensively, only two players have found the net in the Premier League this season – one of those is left back Patrick van Aanholt, who has scored two of their six.

With a trip to an improving West Ham side next up in the league, things won’t be getting much easier. Following the trip to the London Stadium, there is a distracting EFL Cup game against Southampton and the daunting prospect of the visit of Arsenal. Although November’s first two fixtures are notably easier for the Black Cats, Moyes is unlikely to make it to next month if he doesn’t at least avoid defeat in two of the three remaining October matches.

Eventually, the panicked managerial appointment formula will fail to save Sunderland. It may not be this season, it may not be for quite some time yet, but their current state is clearly not sustainable. David Moyes seems like a man short on confidence that they can survive and he has given indications that he was not fully aware of the squad’s weaknesses when he took the role. Sunderland’s only saving grace this season might be that there may be three worse teams who eill disappear into the abyss of the bottom three instead.

Sunderland’s innate lack of quality sets them back significantly. Relegation, if it is not already, has to be deemed a serious threat for the Black Cats. We might not have made it to our advent calendars just yet, but the early signs are present to suggest Sunderland could be without a hope by the time we are tucking into our turkey.

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