Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United shouldn’t diminish what Brendan Rodgers has achieved in salvaging Liverpool’s season. Of course, it will now be significantly more difficult for the Reds to finish in this season’s top four, but there was a time when the Anfield club looked like finishing just outside the bottom four.

Indeed, Liverpool’s recovery since the turn of the year has been remarkable. The Reds were as low as 12th in the Premier League standings in November, but they followed up that nadir by winning 12 from 17 league fixtures, losing just once, before Sunday’s clash against United.

So how did Rodgers do it? Liverpool are now outsiders to clinch Champions League qualification this season following Sunday’s defeat, but their campaign won’t be the unprecedented disaster it once threatened to be. 

The Northern Irishman deserves credit for the way he has turned around Liverpool’s season, but from an on-the-pitch perspective no one player has pushed Liverpool towards a top-four place like Philippe Coutinho has. The Brazilian is the spark from which the Reds’ season finally caught light.

Coutinho has taken on the talismanic mantel once held by Luis Suarez at Liverpool. The playmaker operates in a different area of the pitch to the Uruguayan but nonetheless, he is the man bringing creativity and invention—not to mention goal threat—to Rodgers’ side. 

With Suarez in the team Liverpool could afford to be fluid between the lines of midfield and attack, where the Uruguayan operated and thrived. But without the striker their approach lacked structure. It was from here that Rodgers made the decision to recalibrate. 

To arrest his side’s slide into the bottom half of the Premier League Rodgers reverted to the very basics of his tactical mechanism. Liverpool were simply too fluid, without any semblance of structure, in the first few months of the season. Rodgers recognised the need for rigidity. 

A series of conservative 1-0 wins saw Liverpool through December as Rodgers and his side regrouped. But with a more solid basis from which to build on, Coutinho’s importance increased as the former Swansea and Reading boss reintroduced the sparkle that left the club with Suarez.

“It is frightening to know what he could be worth,” gushed Rodgers after Coutinho’s performance in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Manchester City at the start of March, as per ESPN. “He is a kid who has so much ahead of him in the game. He is a sensational footballer.

“He is a player that has always assisted and made the final pass in his career. He is a very selfless player and a very humble young guy and would rather create for others. But his technique is at a high, high level so he is going to score more goals.”

And that is where the biggest improvement in Coutinho’s game can be found this season. While he often flattered to deceive in terms of goal threat upon his arrival in the Premier League, the Brazilian is now a hub of productive attacking activity.

At first Coutinho was something of an indulgence. It was a reputation that eased his exit from Inter Milan, with a series of coaches including Claudio Ranieri, Rafael Benitez, Leonardo and Andrea Stramaccioni all sceptical over the Brazilian’s true worth.

But in England Coutinho has emerged as one of the finest young midfielders in European football. He is developing season-to-season and is now the face of Rodgers’ Liverpool side in a post-Suarez age. 

Rodgers’ switch to a 3-4-2-1 shape has given Coutinho a free role in behind Daniel Sturridge as the central striker. The 5’7” dynamo is now having more shots per game (2.5 shots per game compared to just 1.8 per game last season—as per WhoScored.com) and is averaging nearly three times as many key passes (from 0.5 per game up to 1.4). The question of who would pick up Suarez’s slack this season was asked, and it would seem Coutinho has obliged. 

Of course, Jordan Henderson has also been a factor in Liverpool’s resurgent form in the second half of the season, with the former Sunderland midfielder underlining his candidacy to take over as club captain when Steven Gerrard leaves for LA Galaxy at the end of the season.

The return of Sturridge, who was sidelined for the best part of four months through injury, has also played its part in Liverpool’s recovery, giving Rodgers the attacking focal point he desperately lacked between September and January.

Yet it is Coutinho’s form that has been the biggest influence on Liverpool’s recent run of positive results, barring Sunday’s defeat to Man Utd. The Brazilian playmaker came close to sparking a second-half comeback against Louis van Gaal’s side, and he will be central if his side is to reboot their Champions League charge.

One should be wary of writing off Liverpool’s top-four challenge. Five points separate the Reds from United in the Premier League table, and considering their streak since the new year it’s a gap that could still feasibly be bridged, especially given the Old Trafford club’s difficult fixture list between now and the end of the season.

Were Rodgers to guide Liverpool to a top-four finish after all that he has had to deal with this season, he would achieve something to outweigh even last year’s success. The Reds boss was handed an incoherent and slap-dash group of new signings to compensate for the sale of Suarez by the club’s infamous transfer committee, and yet he has somehow formed a team on the brink of the top four—with Coutinho at the centre of it all.

The deployment of Coutinho in a new formation hasn’t just changed Liverpool’s play, it has altered the spirit of the team. The lethargy that came to characterise the Reds’ dismal start to the campaign has been thrown off and the excitement that rushed through Anfield last season has been restored. Much of that is down to the Brazilian.

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Arsenal are reportedly set to bid for Inter Milan midfielder Mateo Kovacic and will be boosted by the news that Barcelona will be holding talks with Pedro Rodriguez about his future.

According to Jamie Sanderson of Metro.co.uk, “Manchester United and Chelsea are also keen (on Kovacic), but reports in Spain say Arsenal are set to launch a bid to try and get the pass-master signed up.“

Meanwhile, according to Lluis Miguelsanz of SPORT, Barcelona’s director of international football Ariedo Braida has begun planning for next season with Luis Enrique and will discuss Pedro’s future with the club.

Kovacic would be an excellent signing for the Gunners, although, according to Simone Lorini of Tuttomercatoweb (via Lewis Rudd of Metro.co.uk), the youngster’s agent has claimed he is happy at Inter:

He has signed a five-year renewal and believes in the future at Inter. If he had not been happy in Milan he would not have extended the agreement. If he does not play, Mateo is always happy. He is 21-years-old and is a national team player, playing for Inter.

It’s alright I would say. Arsenal? I do not speak with anyone. He is an Inter player and will continue.

Should Arsene Wenger prise him away from Serie A, it will be quite a coup. The Croatian has caught the eye of The Guardian’s James Horncastle with his impressive performances for club and country:

It’s easy to see why:

Per Squawka, Kovacic has won 57 percent of his duels in Serie A, completing 64 percent of his attempts to beat an opponent. His powerful dribbling and willingness to get forward has seen a return of five goals and one assist this season.

Though Kovacic may not be the defensive linchpin that Arsenal need in midfield, he is a promising young player and would serve as a far better option than the ageing Mikel Arteta and the injury-prone Abou Diaby, and he would prove an excellent addition to the Gunners’ squad.

So too would Pedro, who has admitted to having a difficult time of late, per beIN Sports (h/t Sport’s S.Dacal). He said:

It is clear that it is difficult to find a place in this team.

You can see throughout the whole season that I have had very few chances [to play], but I must wait for them and take advantage of them when they come.

I will value my future in the summer and I will talk with the club then. But as for now I am focused on the club, really keen to play and to play well.

With the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s easy to understand why the Spaniard has seen his time on the pitch restricted.

Despite looking far from his best on occasions and starting relatively few games this season, Pedro has managed to score 10 goals and garner six assists in all competitions.

As noted by B/R’s own Gianni Verschueren, the 27-year-old is a reliable winger, capable of finesse and at home in a possession-based system.

This would serve him well at a club like Arsenal, and with the likes of Pedro and Kovacic, the Gunners would be able to start aiming for higher targets than simply a top four spot.

To truly return to a title-challenging force, however, neither of these players should be a priority based on Wenger’s needs for defensive improvement.

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Europa League favourites Wolfsburg face a tricky tie against Napoli on their quest to become the first German winners of the tournament since 1996-97, when Schalke prevailed.

Friday’s quarter-final draw also pitted Sevilla against Zenit Saint Petersburg in another tasty tie. After such a long and gruelling competition, we are now at crunch time.

You can view the full draw below, per the competition’s Twitter feed:

All first-leg matches will be played on April 16, with the return legs happening on April 23, detailed by UEFA.com.

Unlike the draw for the Champions League last eight, all sides will complete their matches on the same days. It’s also worth noting that Russian side Zenit couldn’t be drawn against Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev or Dnipro due to the tense political relationship between the two nations, per UEFA.com.

Quarter-Final Round-up

Wolfsburg remain favourites to secure the trophy, per Oddschecker.com, but Friday’s draw did little to help their chances. Dieter Hecking’s men overcame Italian opposition in the round of 16, thrashing Inter Milan 5-2 on aggregate after winning 2-1 at the San Siro on Thursday.

Hecking called the result a “big step” for his developing team, reported by Michael Huguenin of Goal.com. He now faces a tactical challenge against Rafa Benitez’s Napoli, who beat Dinamo Moscow 3-1 on aggregate in the last round. Football writer Cristian Nyari thinks this will be an interesting clash:

New ground is being set for both teams, per the Europa League feed:

The same can’t be said for Sevilla and Zenit, who have previous history in the competition:

Sevilla have won three of the last nine Europa League trophies and possess a healthy habit of making it beyond seemingly tricky ties. Unai Emery’s side are fearless and well-drilled, but travelling to Russia to face Zenit is something of a daunting proposition.

Andre Villas-Boas’ men beat Benfica, drew with Monaco and lost to Bayer Leverkusen at home before being eliminated from the Champions League. They are capable of blitzing opponents with pace and power on the attack, shown during the 2-0 win over Torino, but have a tendency to clam up when travelling away from the cold.

As such, Sevilla’s chances will be dictated by whether they can rack up a decent haul in the Spanish-based first leg.

Dynamo Kiev have proven to be an endlessly prolific prospect in Ukraine this season, summarised with their 5-2 demolition of Everton on Thursday.

Sergei Rebrov’s men have won all of their European home games by two goals or more this season, playing swash-buckling, ambitious football with the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko leading the charge.

Fiorentina have improved massively since January—largely thanks to the loan capture of Chelsea’s Mohamed Salah—and will need to continue working hard defensively to come through this one. The Italians have conceded two or more just once in 10 matches, per WhoScored.com, suggesting they are capable of dousing a Dynamo side who threaten to go all the way.

Both Dnipro and Club Brugge have shown themselves to be resilient throughout the tournament, highlighted by their aggregate wins over Ajax and Besiktas. Their last encounter was memorable, per the tournament’s feed:

Friday’s draw ensures all teams know exactly which challenges lie ahead. Big guns are destined to fall, a danger Wolfsburg and Napoli will fear the most, suggesting an outside club could make a run for the silverware.

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The Premier League’s miserable showing in Europe continued on Thursday, as Everton crashed out of the Europa League with a 5-2 loss against Dynamo Kyiv. The Toffees had to defend a 2-1 advantage from the first leg but were completely dismantled by a superior side.

AS Roma also lost in embarrassing fashion, conceding three goals in the first half against Fiorentina. Things got so bad, police were called in to make sure the fixture wouldn’t end in violence, and part of the fan section left the stadium before half-time.

Here are the full results of the round of 16:

The quarter-final draw will be made on Friday, March 20.

Dynamo proved their attacking intentions last week in England, coming within minutes of securing a draw, and they continued their excellent home stretch on Thursday, trashing Everton 5-2.

As the Daily Mail‘s Dominic King put it, it was the cherry on top of a dreadful performance of the English teams in Europe:

Romelu Lukaku‘s equaliser in the first half restored hope for the Toffees after Andriy Yarmolenko had given the hosts the lead, but two more Dynamo goals before half-time made the team’s task all the more difficult.

Everton almost stopped defending in the second half, allowing the hosts to add two more goals before Phil Jagielka restored a little bit of dignity late, making the final score 5-2.

BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty didn’t mince his words after he witnessed the Toffees’ dreadful performance:

Speaking to the club’s official website, manager Roberto Martinez thought his team weren’t as poor as some have suggested, and there was little they could do about Kiyv’s goals:

It was a game between two teams who were clear in their attacking intent and both sides created a lot of chances. I agree there were instances when we could have defended better but there is not a lot you can do about goals that go right into the top corner. Ross (Barkley) was a real threat for us and back to a very good level. He hit the post twice and sometimes the margins are very small. The way the game unfolded, there were plenty of chances but the difference was the team that took most of their chances.

Fiorentina scored three times during the first half of their win over AS Roma, prompting the Giallorossi fans to take drastic action. As shared by Football Italia, some started walking out before the half-time whistle:

Roma have been in dreadful form in Serie A of late, and Thursday’s debacle was the final drop for the fans. They gathered outside of the stadium and marched back in with 10 minutes left on the clock, armed with banners and chanting protests.

The suspended Radja Nainggolan was involved in a minor altercation in the stands, Adem Ljajic further angered the fans by getting sent off, and before long, things looked like they might get out of hand:

Francesco Totti and a handful of team-mates approached the fans at the conclusion of the match and tried to call them down, but they were told to take off the shirt, as they were “unworthy” of wearing it.

Fortunately, the fans’ protest remained non-violent, and the Fiorentina players weren’t targeted.

Napoli joined Fiorentina in the quarter-finals thanks to a scoreless draw in Moscow, but the other two Italian clubs bowed out of the tournament. Inter Milan were unable to make up their 3-1 loss in Wolfsburg last week, playing out a 1-1 draw at the San Siro. Zenit St. Petersburg had to survive a late scare against unfancied Torino, losing 1-0 after last week’s 2-0 loss.

The biggest upset of the round took place in Turkey, as Belgium’s Club Brugge shocked Besiktas by recording a 3-1 win at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium. Turkish-Football.com took the defeat with grace, noting the Belgian side simply deserved to go through over two legs:

Dnipro needed extra time to get past Ajax after their match finished 1-0 in regulation. 

Defending champions Sevilla defeated Villarreal 2-1 and cruised to the quarter-final, and they should once again be considered favourites for the title. Fiorentina are arguably the most in-form team right now, and Wolfsburg field more all-round quality than any other side remaining. 

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While much has been made of United’s defensive struggles in the current campaign, the Red Devils have often been listless, lethargic and ineffective in the attacking third of the pitch.

Through 28 games, United have created just 291 chances, only good enough for 8th-best in the EPL, and a century behind crosstown rivals Manchester City.

Aside from the Red Devils’ current offensive issues, they will likely face more problems this summer.

Radamel Falcao, who believes he chose the wrong club, per Ian Ladyman of The Daily Mail, looks destined for a move away from Old Trafford, while Paul Smith of The Independent envisioned a Robin van Persie exit months ago.

Even with the poor form, injury issues and rapid decline that both of these players have experienced, the fact remains that the pair have combined for 14 goals and six assists in EPL action this season.

United fans may be happy if they departed in the summer, but a direct goals replacement (or replacements), preferably of superior quality, would still have to be lined up.

Luckily for United, this seems to be a reasonable task, as their status as one of the most iconic clubs in the world is still intact. Just as important as the reputation of a club in the pursuit of a player, however, is how much money that club has the capacity to spend.

Many clubs are well respected but simply don’t have the budget to splash out on transfer fees like United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Paris-Saint Germain.

United, known as a wealthy club in the Premier League era, will become even richer at the conclusion of the current season, with a record-breaking Adidas kit deal kicking in. The deal, which will pay United £75 million per season, per BBC News, will truly put them in the financial territory to be able to sign any player in the world.

This does not mean, however, that any striker in the world is willing to come to United, or that his team is wiling to sell him. 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have 32 and 30 league goals respectively, and they are the top two players in the world. Barcelona and Real have no reason to sell their star men, though, and it would take an absolutel miracle for United to even land one.

Next, Diego Costa has 18 league goals, while Sergio Aguero comes in just behind at 17. Neymar and Arjen Robben, not really strikers, are still having magnificent seasons that match the goal tally of Aguero. Once again, United have little to no chance of landing any of these players. Aguero and Costa have both pleased their respective clubs, Manchester City and Chelsea, who would be unlikely to sell to a rival if they were happy with the production they were getting.

Neymar is already one of the world’s best players at the age of 23 and is widely considered the heir to Messi’s throne in Catalonia. He’s not going anywhere.

Robben, although unlikely, is a more interesting situation. On one hand, the Dutchman is probably having the best season of his life and is absolutely essential to Bayern Munich’s silverware aspirations. On the other hand, he is 31 years old, and he may not look like the same player for any more than a couple of seasons.

If United come with a hefty ofter, Bayern could be tempted to sell high, and Robben could be attracted to the idea of playing under Louis van Gaal, a man he speaks highly of.

With most if not all of the aforementioned players probably unavailable, United find themselves targeting an already-productive but still-developing youngster. Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich is an exception to this, as he has been linked with United in the past. Like Robben however, he is an essential part of Bayern’s mission.

The more realistic targets for United, simply, are the ones at smaller clubs. Every player dreams of playing for a big club like United and (hopefully) winning trophies, and this rhetoric, combined with United’s deep pockets, should be enough to tempt at least one upcoming striking starlet.

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Paulo Dybala (Palermo), and Andre Lacazette (Lyon) all have at least 12 league goals (in fact, Lacazette has a whopping 23, fewer than only Ronaldo and Messi).

All of these players have been extremely productive for their respective teams this season and represent more realistic targets than the Ronaldos, Messis and Agueros of world football, even if they are still highly coveted.

Despite being the youngest player in this Squawka graphic, Dybala very well may be the most complete. The 21-year-old is scoring at approximately a one-in-two rate, completes 2.73 take-ons per 90 minutes and completes a tidy 82 percent of his passes. According to Jamie Sanderson of The Metro, United might have already made a bid for the Argentinian.

Over in France, Alexandre Lacaztte is playing unbelievable football, with only Ronaldo and Messi having more goals in Europe’s top five leagues. The Frenchman also creates 1.65 chances per 90, and with his blistering pace, he would probably enjoy life in the EPL.

Harry Kane is already enjoying life in England, with 16 goals thus far this season. As good a scorer as he is, he is also sneakily quick and smart, creating 1.01 chances per 90 and completing 1.81 take-ons.

Bacca and Icardi, finally, are less complete than their counterparts and seem to be more in the poacher mold, at least for now. They both produce less than one take-on and chance per 90, despite both scoring in over half of their games respectively. They represent good options for United, but probably not as good options as Lacazette, Dybala or Kane.

If United could land one of the aforementioned three strikers in the upcoming transfer window, they should be happy with their work. With Lacazette being chased by Liverpool, per another Sanderson report in the Metro, and Dybala a hot commodity as well, it will be difficult to land these players.

Kane, also, has been immense for Spurs this season, and they would suffer majorly without him. If Spurs were to sell him, it’s likely they would look beyond the EPL.

However, while United have competition for these players, they should feel good about their chances of landing a top striker.

They’ll have the biggest budget they’ve had in history and will likely have a gaping hole for a quality forward to come in and fill.

Oh yeah, and they’re still Manchester United.

Stats and info via Squawka.com

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The draw for the quarter-finals of the 2015 Europa League will be made in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday, just one day after the conclusion of the round-of-16 second legs.

Full coverage will be available via UEFA’s official website, and the first side drawn will play the first leg of the tie at home. Here are the full details for Friday’s draw:

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 12 p.m. GMT / 8 a.m. ET

Location: Nyon, Switzerland

The results from the first legs of the round of 16 and the upcoming schedule:

Everton travel to Ukraine to take on Dynamo Kyiv in high spirits after their 2-1 win at Goodison Park, which saw Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku cancel out Oleg Gusev’s opener.

Leon Osman told the club’s official website that he likes their chances based on the strong form they’ve shown on the road in Europe so far this season:

The Toffees will have their work cut out, however. English sides have struggled tremendously in Europe during 2014-15, and based on their recent home form, Dynamo have to feel good about their chances of continuing that trend.

The Ukrainian side have won their last four European matches at home by at least two goals, per UEFA.com, and they showed plenty of attacking intentions when they traveled to England. The Toffees are enjoying a fine campaign in Europe, but on the domestic level, inconsistency has plagued Roberto Martinez’s men.

One player who enters the match in fine form is Lukaku, who impressed against Dynamo and has found the net with regularity in recent weeks. He’s also the top scorer among all the players still active in the Europa League, via Sky Sports:

Defending champions Sevilla were the only away team able to win the first leg of their round-of-16 clash, beating Primera Liga rivals Villarreal 3-1. Led by the prolific Carlos Bacca, the club is a threat at any given time, as shared by football writer Christian Nyari:

Villarreal’s attack is spearheaded by youngster Luciano Vietto, one of the top breakout performers of the season. Though things look bleak for the Yellow Submarine, fans should still expect plenty of fireworks at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

The all-Italian clash between AS Roma and Fiorentina will be another mouth-watering fixture, pitting one of Serie A’s in-form teams against the current No. 2 in the league.

The Giallorossi are winless in their last five in domestic competition, while La Viola have received a tremendous boost from their new on-loan star Mohamed Salah, via the Guardian‘s Conrad Leach:

Thursday’s clash could have a big impact on both sides’ domestic form, as the race for the Champions League spots is quickly heating up in Serie A. Roma are desperate for a win and some much-needed silverware, and with Juve running away with the title, the Europa League gives the squad its most realistic chance.

Wolfsburg dominated Inter Milan at home and will look to ride star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to a repeat performance, while Besiktas and Torino hope to overturn Club Brugge and Zenit Saint Petersburg respectively.

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Stagnating at Arsenal, German centre-forward/left attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski, 29, now finds himself in a ruinous situation on loan at Inter Milan.

You surmise Podolski‘s fleeting feeling of relief has since been replaced by hopelessness.

Wanting Out

Last October, there was speculation Podolski could do a William Gallas by moving to Tottenham Hotspur.

Categorically denying the rumour via twitter, #AlwaysAGunner was one of the six hashtags Podolski used to diffuse the gossip.

Leading into the 2015 January transfer window, always a Gunner was a thought which gradually shifted away from Podolski‘s mind.

“I am not happy with the situation at the moment. It would be wrong to suggest that I am,” Podolski said, per The Guardian. “In football you can’t sadly just go looking for a [new] club.”

Averaging 14.14 minutes in the Premier League, Podolski was never given a chance to prove his worth this season. 

When Podolski scored the clutch winner in a 2-1 win over Anderlecht last October in the UEFA Champions League, he received words of encouragement from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“[Podolski] is frustrated and I understand that of course,” Wenger said, per Sky Sports. “[But] he will be important in the coming months.”

Wenger, do you know what would further irk an already unhappy Podolski?

• October 25, 2014 | Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal: Unused substitute.
• November 1, 2014 | Arsenal 3-0 Burnley: Subbed on in 79th minute.
• November 9, 2014 | Swansea 2-1 Arsenal: Unused substitute.
• November 22, 2014 | Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United: Unused substitute.
• November 29, 2014 | West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Arsenal: Unused substitute.

In the proceeding five Premier League games after coming up big against Anderlecht, Podolski started and finished on the bench four times—so much for being important.

Starting on the left side against Galatasaray in the Champions League last December, Podolski produced the goods, scoring twice in a 4-1 win.

He was benched in the next Premier League game—a 4-1 win over Newcastle United, playing just 17 minutes.

The capricious way Wenger managed Podolski led to his departure. 

“I gave [Podolski] a chance to go,” Wenger said, per Rob Kelly at Arsenal.com. “At some stage too much competition is detrimental to [his] confidence.”

It was Bayern Munich all over again—no longer the big fish in a small pond at Koln, Podolski forced his way out. 

On that occasion, he went straight back to Koln. 

This time, it was Inter Milan. 

“The welcome I received [from Inter Milan fans] was something I’ve never seen anywhere else in the world,” Podolski said, per Inter.it. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Bad First Impression

Taking the ball from way outside the box, Podolski unleashes a cannon-like left-footed shot to score an amazing long-range goal—in training.

The Inter Milan media department released a clip from one of their training sessions, which doubled as a Podolski highlights video. 

It felt like a public relations ploy: “Yeah, we know he has been useless so far, but he trains hard!”

You could not help but wonder if this was meant to quell the backlash towards Podolski‘s lack of intensity, which was exacerbated by Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini.

“Lukas needs to do more,” Mancini said, per Sky (h/t Football Italia). “We know he can give a lot more and we hope he will.”

To Podolski‘s credit, he accepted the criticism, even though Mancini once again proved he was not an advocate of what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.

“[Mancini] was asked [about me] and it was an honest answer,” Podolski said, per Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC). “I work hard every day with the squad and the coaching staff to find my rhythm again.”

Podolski has been Parma-bad in Serie A and was voted by La Gazzetta dello Sport readers in a snap-shot poll as the second-worst January transfer signing/loan.

• 604 minutes over nine games without a goal or assist; inefficient.
• 17.65 percent shooting accuracy—47.05 percent of his shots have been from outside the box; terrible shot selection.

In a 1-1 draw against Cesena, Podolski went 0-5 in goals scored-shots taken, momentarily dropping the words pass and assist from his vocabulary. 

He had a 20 percent shooting accuracy and failed to record a single pass which led to a scoring chance for his teammates. 

When he attempted to be a provider during a 1-0 defeat against Fiorentina, he inadvertently kicked the corner flag while crossing the ball.

Nothing has gone right for Podolski.

“[Getting back into form] is not something you can do by just flicking a switch,” Podolski said, per SPORT1 (h/t Joe Short at the Daily Express). “I have no problems when the media and other people criticise me.”

Podolski‘s teammate Rodrigo Palacio, who has struggled throughout the season, would agree. 

Since the arrival of Podolski, which was an indictment on Palacio‘s productivity (one goal and two assists heading into the January transfer window), he has scored six goals in his last seven combined Serie A/UEFA Europa League games. 

Meanwhile, it seems Podolski can only score in training.

Coming Home

Why is Podolski substandard at clubs not named Koln?

Just ask former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, who attempted to explain how Podolski, one of Germany’s brightest talents in recent memory, flopped for the Bavarians.

“For [Podolski] there is only Koln, Koln and Koln,” Hoeness said, per Deutsche Welle. “He dreams of Koln day and night.”

Unwanted at Arsenal and a burden at Inter Milan, Podolski is probably already thinking about a move back to Koln.

“I can imagine a transfer to Koln in the next few years because I’m always attached to the club,” Podolski said, per Sky Sport (h/t Ross Dunbar at Deutsche Welle). “That’s what I dream about and I hope it comes true again.”

Should that happen, cue the song Skylar Grey – Coming Home, as it would be Podolski‘s third stint at his boyhood club—2003-06, 2009-12 and maybe 2015-whenever he retires.

+allanjiang.

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com. 

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Manchester City are reportedly planning on stealing one of Manchester United’s top transfer targets from under their nose, as the defending Premier League champions are talking to Wolfsburg‘s Kevin De Bruyne about a possible summer move.

Het Laatste Nieuws‘ Kristof Terreur reports director of football Txiki Begiristain has already contacted the Belgium international’s entourage:

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to Old Trafford recently, and Bild (h/t The Guardian‘s Ed Aarons) believes Louis van Gaal is a big fan of the former Chelsea man.

De Bruyne‘s emergence as one of Europe’s top passers and all-round midfielders has been rapid, and Wolfsburg have ridden their new superstar to new heights, quickly becoming one of the top clubs in the Bundesliga.

From a statistical perspective, the versatile midfielder has become one of the most impactful players in the game today. As shared by the New York Times‘ Stefan Bienkowski, his output matches up well with some of his more illustrious colleagues:

ESPN FC’s Michael Cox couldn’t hide his admiration after De Bruyne almost single-handedly guided Wolfsburg past Inter Milan in their Europa League encounter, scoring twice and adding an assist for good measure:

Premier League fans perhaps remember De Bruyne best for his time with Chelsea, where he was part of a group of Belgian youngsters who arrived with much fanfare at Stamford Bridge.

He and Romelu Lukaku failed to make an immediate impact and were eventually sold for a big profit, while Thibaut Courtois has emerged as the club’s top option in goal after spending several years on loan with Atletico Madrid.

De Bruyne wasn’t given much time to impress by Jose Mourinho, and while it made perfect sense to sell the Belgian to the highest bidder at the time, the decision seems a poor one in hindsight.

His fantastic performances for Wolfsburg have already led to plenty of transfer speculation, and per France Football (h/t Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson), Paris Saint-Germain are among his many suitors:

Blessed with pace, vision and plenty of raw scoring ability, De Bruyne has been the on-pitch leader of Belgium’s national team for years, often making a far bigger impact than Chelsea star Eden Hazard, who is yet to truly make his mark for the Red Devils.

De Bruyne seems more than ready to make the step up to a bigger club, but after only moving to Wolfsburg in 2014, it seems unlikely he’d be willing to return to the Premier League so soon.

The club certainly has no intention of selling its biggest star, via Terreur:

Wolfsburg will likely qualify for next year’s Champions League, which will give fans and scouts alike a glimpse of what the Belgian can do against the very best competition Europe has to offer.

He’s only 23, and with another year of seasoning in the Bundesliga, De Bruyne could establish himself as a true superstar before entertaining the idea of returning to England and possibly joining one of the Manchester-based clubs.

United added plenty of top players to their squad last season, and according to Bleacher Report’s Stan Collymore, they should do so again in 2015. De Bruyne certainly fits the bill:

The Citizens aren’t exactly short of cash, either, and if Manuel Pellegrini is truly convinced De Bruyne is the one player he needs to push for next year’s Premier League title, a massive offer could persuade the Germans to change their mind.

Follow @ReverschPass

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Arsenal‘s latest transfer gossip sees the club adding yet more attack-minded players to a team already bloated in forward areas. That’s a strange strategy for a squad that needs more help in defence and between the posts than up front.

But even with a midfield brimming with several advanced playmakers, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger apparently still thinks Hakan Calhanoglu is too good to resist. The Arsenal chief is so impressed he’s even ready to send work-shy misfit Lukas Podolski to Bayer 04 Leverkusen to prompt the Bundesliga club into a sale, per the Daily Star on Sunday.

Getting rid of Podolski is acceptable. In fact, waving goodbye to the striker more concerned with social media minutes than grafting on the pitch should be a central part of Wenger‘s summer strategy.

That’s why the 29-year-old Germany international is currently on loan at Serie A side Inter Milan. But manager Roberto Mancini has been very critical of Podolski‘s performances, per a Daily Mail report by Reuters writer Brian Homewood.

Podolski‘s agent has even suggested his client will seek a move to Turkey once this season ends, per David Wright of the Sunday Express. Yet a return to the Bundesliga seems more appropriate for a player whose career has stalled since leaving Germany in 2012.

But should that mean Podolski would be acting as a makeweight for Calhanoglu?

The Gunners are hardly in need of creative midfield players. Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil give Wenger more options than he knows what to do with.

Of course, Calhanoglu has been dubbed the “new Ozil.” Yet there’s little wrong with the old one, at least on current form.

However, B/R’s James McNicholas recently stated Ozil can’t be graded a success since arriving for a club-record fee in 2013. He even discussed how the Gunners might improve their squad if they sold a so-called “luxury” player:

Natural free-kick specialist Calhanoglu is a mercurial talent, but he isn’t the Leverkusen player Wenger should pursue. A better option would be offering Podolski to sweeten a deal for midfield destroyer Lars Bender, a player Arsenal have been heavily linked with.

The Gunners have a need for a midfield player with strength and defensive qualities. Wenger‘s squad certainly doesn’t need another schemer.

Nor does it need another striker. That’s why a proposed move for Palermo forward Paulo Dybala should raise a few eyebrows.

Particularly when he’ll cost as much as €40 million. Club president Maurizio Zamparini indicated Dybala will agree to join a new club within the “next 15 days,” per Metro’s Jamie Sanderson.

Spanish website Fichajes.net also reported Arsenal have been working feverishly to wrap up a deal for a budding star generating heavy interest (h/t Sanderson).

The only problem is finding a place for another tricky and pacy attacker. After all, Wenger can already call on Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.

The latter has been stalling over a new contract offer. Wenger recently only half-mockingly chided the fleet-footed England international for dragging his feet, per BBC Sport, but it’s difficult to believe he’s already looking for Walcott‘s replacement.

If Wenger is going to make big signings this summer, he should target a more assured goalkeeper and a more athletic centre-back. His squad already has all the playmakers and goalscorers it needs.

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Even when Chelsea aren’t trying, they are winning in the transfer market as they watch Egyptian left/right-forward Mohamed Salah, 22, raise his transfer stock to the nth level on loan at Fiorentina.

Initially viewed as a squad-filler, Salah has the potential to be another big-money transfer away from Chelsea. 

Liverpool Chelsea

Salah proved he could play against Premier League teams having scored for Basel against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League.

Entering the 2014 January transfer window, Liverpool were planning to sign Salah from Basel, per ESPN.

It was speculated that if Liverpool were to sign Salah, it would enable Raheem Sterling to be loaned out to Swansea City, per Gary Jacob at The Times.

Though, Liverpool assistant manager Colin Pascoe quashed the theory.

“We just laughed at that [rumour],” Pascoe said, per James Pearce at the Liverpool Echo. “Raheem has been brilliant this season. He won’t be going anywhere.”

• Jordon Ibe → Birmingham City (loan).
• Sebastian Coates → Nacional (loan).
• Tiago Ilori → Granada (loan).

Pascoe was right as Sterling avoided being one of the Liverpool prospects to be loaned out halfway through the season.

However, Liverpool botching the proposed Salah deal means you will never definitively know if his arrival would have led to Sterling’s loan to Swansea City.

After the Salah deal collapsed, his commitment was questioned by Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre, who went on the public relations offensive.

Unlike Ayre, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was more introspective, perhaps believing he could have brought the best out of Salah, which is what is happening at Fiorentina.

“It’s the construction of the whole deal, not only with [Salah] and the agent but also Basel. It was deemed in this case that we couldn’t do a deal and Chelsea could,” Rodgers said, per Andy Hunter at The Guardian. “If [transfer targets like Salah] end up going to [a rival] club, it is difficult to take.”

Salah‘s agent Sascha Empacher revealed Liverpool’s delaying tactics opened the door for Chelsea.

“[Negotiations with Liverpool] lasted two-and-a-half months—too long,” Empacher said, per David Anderson at the Daily Mirror. “When Chelsea contacted Basel, Salah was happy and took his chance. It was no financial matter.”

Chelsea signing Salah for €15.4/£11 million seemed nefarious because he was a luxury squad player.

It was as if Chelsea feared Salah‘s X-Factor would play a role in Liverpool potentially challenging for the Premier League title. 

Remember, one slip from Steven Gerrard against Chelsea effectively cost Liverpool the Premier League, handing the title to Manchester City.

What if Salah was subbed on for Liverpool, used his blazing speed and single-handedly beat Chelsea? 

It really does reinforce the crux of ElAlonso’s video The Butterfly Effect.

Fiorentina Freebie

Salah averaging 40.8 minutes per Premier League game and only appearing as a substitute three times this season strengthens the cynical claim of Chelsea buying him to keep him away from a contending Premier League team. 

Chelsea negotiating with a foreign team, Roma, further indicates Salah was an expendable short-term signing, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com:

• Proposed deal: Salah moves to Roma on loan with a buyout clause of €17/£12.1 million, which would represent a nominal €1.6/£1.1 million profit for Chelsea.

That was January 23, 2015. 

Eleven days before Fiorentina would finally say no mas on transfer deadline day, allowing Juan Cuadrado to move to Chelsea for €32.7/£23.3 million plus Salah on loan.

Like Nemanja Matic being given away to Benfica which facilitated David Luiz’s transfer to Chelsea in 2011, Salah was an undervalued bargaining chip, per Nima Tavallaey at GianlucaDiMarzio.com:

• Fiorentina pressured Chelsea into paying the rest of Salah‘s salary until the end of this season.
  
• If Fiorentina want to renew Salah‘s loan for next season, it will cost €1 million/£713,557.

Running on to Khouma Babacar’s audacious backheel, Salah outpaced Sassuolo‘s back line and scored in a 3-1 win.

Reading Alberto Gilardino’s flick-on pass, Salah reached the ball first and finished under pressure in a 1-1 draw against Torino.

Taking advantage of Samir Handanovic’s error, Salah pounced and finished excellently with his left foot in a 1-0 win over Inter Milan.

Latching on to a defensive clearance from Jasmin Kurtic, Salah took the ball from inside his half and spear-headed a one-man counter-attack against Juventus.

Veering to the left, Salah struck the ball into the top right corner to score an amazing goal. 

He later scored another after a defensive miscue from Juventus in a 2-1 Coppa Italia win.

Voted by La Gazzetta dello Sport readers as the No. 1 January transfer signing so far in Serie A, Salah has been world class, which enhances the reputation of Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella.

Not only did Montella sell a mercurial Cuadrado at an inflated transfer fee, Salah is an upgrade, albeit on a short-term basis.

Salah is an incredible component of Fiorentina‘s attack and is at times unstoppable on the fast-break, as illustrated by Omar Momani.

Allowing Salah to play a free-roaming role, Montella is turning the Eygptian into a superstar.

“Salah is in a state of grace and we hope he can continue,” Montella said, per Rai (h/t Enis Koylu at Goal). “Honestly, his immediate impact has gone beyond expectations.”

Right now, Salah > Cuadrado, per OptaPaolo.

Another Great Deal For Chelsea?

The Associated Press (h/t USA Today) reported that Fiorentina can exercise a clause to buy Salah for €20/£14.3 million. 

When Chelsea announced the Salah loan, there was no mention of a buyout clause.

Though, Fiorentina revealed the current “agreement runs until 30 June 2015 with the possibility of extending the [loan] deal for the 2015-16 season and a further option of making the transfer permanent.”

The key phrase is further option, as opposed to an iron-clad buyout clause, which does not give Chelsea the right to contest if Fiorentina stump up the money.

Should this be the case, Salah will be easy money for Chelsea.

Why?

You surmise Chelsea will deny Fiorentina‘s loan-renewal option in order to sell Salah to the highest bidder in the summer transfer window.

If Salah continues his meteoric form, he will rival the €39.2/£28 million fee Chelsea received when selling Romelu Lukaku to Everton in 2014.

Salah could be another transfer win for Chelsea (an inadvertent one).

+allanjiang.

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