Roberto Mancini is still waiting for his first win in Serie A in his second act as coach of Inter.

It’s not like he’s been back for a while. Change hardly comes after three matches.

“A coach can’t change everything in a heartbeat,” said Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic (h/t Goal). “Unfortunately, we’re in one of those periods and we just need to look forward. We’ve got a good team but we’re making too many errors.”

Here’s four reasons why Mancini will push Inter up the standings.

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Brendan Rodgers’ ability to manage at the highest level can rightly be questioned after Liverpool‘s UEFA Champions League hopes were extinguished on Tuesday night, as they were sent crashing out by Basel.

With the Reds unlikely to effectively challenge for a top-four place this season, many are also wondering whether this will be Steven Gerrard‘s last appearance in the competition.

Liverpool went into the game with destiny in their own hands, knowing that a win would see them qualify from Group B behind Real Madrid, but they were only able to muster a 1-1 draw.

Fabian Frei put the visitors ahead midway through the first half, and things went from bad to worse for Liverpool when substitute Lazar Markovic was sent off on the hour mark.

A Gerrard wonder goal and a resurgent final 10 minutes gave the Reds hope, but in truth, the Merseysiders were poor for most of the game and would not have deserved a win.

There was a nervous excitement among fans prior to the game. Rodgers’ team selection drew raised eyebrows from The Sunday Times football correspondent Jonathan Northcroft and AFP London Sports correspondent Tom Williams: 

The scepticism proved to be well-founded, as Liverpool produced a lethargic first-half display. Rodgers’ decision to field four central midfielders ensured a sluggish pace to the Reds’ play while Rickie Lambert cut an isolated figure up front.

Anfield, famous for its atmosphere on European nights, was as subdued as the team were on the pitch.

Unsurprisingly, this didn’t escape the mockery of those on Twitter.

Gary Neville’s quip that Liverpool’s upcoming match with Manchester United could resemble a pub game gained plenty of traction on Twitter, as the Reds laboured to no avail.

After Frei‘s fine strike put Basel ahead, supporters were already beginning Liverpool’s autopsy.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though, with some seeing the humorous side of things.

Rodgers’ double substitution at half-time left many questioning the absence of Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho. 

The man who came on in their place, Markovic, immediately injected the side with more pace and vigour—for about 15 minutes.

The Serb, tracked through the midfield by Behrang Safari, floated an arm towards Safari’s face. To say the Swede went down theatrically would be an understatement:

ITV commentator Andy Townsend rushed to the defence of Markovic, citing the minimal contact and Safari’s reaction. Understandably, a number of Liverpool fans were in agreement.

More measured heads had their say as well.

According to talkSPORT, Rodgers described the red card as an “awful decision.” 

However, Markovic knew exactly where Safari was, and in flinging his arm back, he showed intent and gave the referee a decision to make regardless of the contact or reaction.

Liverpool limped on for 20 minutes with 10 men before—exactly 10 years and a day after that Olympiakos goal set the Reds on track to win their fifth European Cup—Gerrard did this:

Gerrard’s sublime free-kick finally brought his team to life, and the final minutes were by far the most exciting of the match as the Reds threw everything at Basel.

Townsend was, as he so often is, the subject of contempt in the Twittersphere, as he practically cheered the Merseysiders on.

Liverpool’s late efforts were for naught in the end, as Basel hung on to reach the last 16 for the first time since 2011/12.

Rodgers’ side will now be playing Europa League football for the remainder of the season. Not quite the result fans were hoping for.

Many were quick to point out that Liverpool still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League next year by winning the lesser competition.

In fact, sportlinglife.com report that the Reds are now favourites to win it despite Liverpool showing nothing at the moment to indicate they can overcome the likes of Napoli, Inter Milan or Sevilla. 

Their failure to escape a group containing Basel and Ludogorets shows how far the Reds have fallen since narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last year.

Of course, not all of that is Rodgers’ fault. 

The absence of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who scored 52 goals between them in the league last season, was always going to make it impossible for them to hit the same heights this year. 

What Rodgers must take responsibility for is that Liverpool’s defence, which conceded 51 times and cost them the title, has not improved whatsoever.

In fact, it’s probably even worse.

Then there are his dealings in the transfer market.

During his time at the club, Rodgers has brought in 25 players at a total of £212 million. Of those, the only players to have a real positive impact on the team so far are Sturridge and Coutinho. This is something that has to improve.

The Northern Irishman’s inability to stir a convincing performance from his players in any of their six group games raises serious concerns as to whether he’s cut out to manage at this level.

At 41, there is still plenty of time for Rodgers to become a top manager, and he deserves the chance to turn things around at Liverpool.

If he can instil his players with the confidence they enjoyed last year and do the right business in January, then his side may yet mount a challenge to either win the Europa League or achieve a top-four finish.

But based on last night’s performance, Rodgers has a massive job on his hands.

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Winning whilst not playing well is a habit that you don’t necessarily strive for, but one that you’re more than willing to put up with should it arrive.

As Manchester United’s recovery from the aberration of last season continued apace with the highly fortunate 2-1 win over Southampton on Monday, a thought occurred in many onlookers which would have scared United’s rivals. “What happens when they actually start functioning?”

The vast sum of the parts in Louis van Gaal’s new-look machine is still greater than the machine itself, but by embarking on the biggest spending spree the Premier League has ever seen, United have been able to ensure that their fans forget all about a 2013/14 which never really got started for David Moyes.

They’re now third, five points behind a Manchester City side who have just lost Sergio Aguero for the busy Christmas period and eight back from Chelsea, who now have to react to their first loss of the league campaign. Dare we suggest a title challenge is possible?

That would be running before United have shown that they can walk properly, of course, but with a couple of clever January additions they could at least have an outside shot. One of those will have to be a defender, whilst the other could be Wesley Sneijder.

A name long linked with a switch to Old Trafford—most recently by Alex Harris in the Daily Star—now would surely be the most sensible time for the 30-year-old to make the move given the presence of both Van Gaal and Robin van Persie, as no one can really be sure how long either man will be at the club for.

By signing Sneijder, Van Gaal could add another element of his successful Dutch World Cup squad to his United revolution, whilst rotating a midfield which is at best a varying success story right now.

Michael Carrick might look good in a home victory over Hull City, but you have to question whether or not his ageing legs can cut it at the highest level any more. Marouane Fellaini is an enigma, Ander Herrera is still adjusting and Daley Blind is injured.

Between the four of them, Blind is the best equipped to play the deep-lying midfield role, but there is still hope that Fellaini can be educated on it. Basically, he just needs to be locked in a darkened room with DVDs of Nemanja Matic.

If those two compete for that position, then it opens up a bit of space ahead of them. Angel Di Maria has to play when fit, of course, but he could take his place at the head of a midfield diamond with Herrera and Sneijder sparkling either side of it. That then leaves Wayne Rooney and Van Persie in attack.

Juan Mata, Radamel Falcao, Darren Fletcher, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Adnan Januzaj won’t like reading that, of course, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Falcao looks like damaged goods anyway, Valencia is a decent right-back these days and Januzaj could benefit from going on loan.

Key to all of this is Sneijder, clearly, but the Dutchman will surely be receptive to an approach from United as he perhaps seeks a new challenge and a move away from current club Galatasaray.

The Red Devils would be another stellar addition to a CV which includes Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, over 100 Dutch caps and the Champions League, and he’d add another dash of star quality to a squad desperate to compete with Chelsea and Manchester City on that front.

There are negatives, obviously. The money involved, the fact that Sneijder is on the wrong side of 30 and that he’s not the player who was arguably the best performer at the 2010 World Cup any more, but if United are ever going to sign him, you suspect that it might well come in the next few weeks.

A bit of control, short passing and top-level experience is exactly what their midfield needs at the moment, and Van Gaal must surely know that.

The defence remains the key problem, but sign Sneijder and the United boss might find that the ugly wins become less of the norm and the impressive victories start flowing.

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On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain takes on Barcelona at the Camp Nou with top spot in Group F up for grabs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic—after missing the first game in Paris—will take on Lionel Messi in a winner-takes-all battle.

Lionel Messi is the current all-time leading scorer in Champions League history after he recently passed Spanish legend Raul. The Argentine has 74 goals, Raul finished on 71, and now the next few years will be consumed with the back-and-forth contest between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the honour of being the competition’s top scorer.

Ronaldo, like Raul, has scored 71 times, but where does Ibrahimovic rank amongst the greats? How does the Swedish talisman fare against Lionel Messi when we break down the UEFA Champions League stats before the stars face off on Wednesday?

When it comes to goals, it’s hard for anyone to catch Messi at the moment. Ronaldo is three goals behind, with Ibrahimovic a mere 31 goals behind at the moment. At 33 years old, the Swedish is six years Messi’s elder, so there is little to no chance that he would be able to catch the little Argentine.

On his way to scoring his 74 goals, Messi has scored five hat-tricks in the Champions League, more than anyone else has managed. Ibrahimovic has only scored the one treble, although not to be outdone he scored four. Playing against Anderlecht at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium, it may be his only hat-trick, but it was one to remember.

All of Messi’s goals in the Champions League have come for Barcelona, scoring his 74 goals in just 91 games. In contrast, and perhaps impressively, Ibrahimovic’s goals have come for six different clubs.

No matter where he has played, he has scored goals in this competition, instantly turning whatever club he signs for into a Champions League contender. He scored six times for both Ajax and Inter Milan, his fewest return came for Juventus where he only scored three.

For Barcelona he managed just four goals, then at AC Milan he scored nine, but it has been at PSG that he has had his best return. His goal against APOEL Nicosia was his 14th for the club.

For both these players, it’s not just the ability to score goals that makes them special; they also bring a creative side to their team. Ryan Giggs leads everyone with 30 assists in the competition, but next on the all-time list is the Swedish forward with 19 assists, it is one of the few categories that he beats Messi in, but not by much.

Not to be outdone, Messi is only one behind on 18 assists, with time on his side; you would bank on the 27-year-old to overtake the Swede in this category too.

With top spot in Group F up for grabs, both sides will need players with nerves of steel, and if the referee awards a penalty, each side has one of the best at scoring from the spot.

Both Ibrahimovic and Messi have only missed one penalty in the Champions League. The Argentine has scored nine from 10 attempts, with Zlatan scoring five out of his six.

Each team will want to make sure they win on Wednesday. Coming top of the group not only means you will play one of the seven sides that finish second, but you also play the second leg at home, giving you a crucial advantage.

Messi does edge Ibrahimovic in most categories and the winger will hope to edge past the Swede once again this week, but there is one stat in which Messi will always beat Ibrahimovic, and it’s the one that means the most for any player.

Ibrahimovic has yet to win the UEFA Champions League, Messi has three titles, and perhaps if Zlatan wants to finally lift the famous trophy this season, he needs to get one over Messi when they face off on Wednesday night.

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According to Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t Soccerlens‘ Tamojitc), Liverpool are preparing to move for Uruguayan supertalent Jaime Baez, a striker already being compared to compatriot and former Reds great Luis Suarez.

Brendan Rodgers’ scouts have reportedly been monitoring the 19-year-old for quite some time now, and impressed by what they saw, the Reds are now preparing to move for the U20 international.

Baez burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 2012, dazzling Uruguay’s top division with a series of excellent performances for Juventud. This goal against Nacional caught the eye of plenty of scouts, as the youngster displayed all of his top assets in one swift move:

The forward has tremendous pace and a strong build, which allows him to do plenty of damage running at the defence. He has remarkable vision for a young player and is a natural finisher, and despite a lack of technical baggage he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet in close quarters.

Baez is far from a finished product, and with five goals in 13 matches in Uruguay’s top division, according to Soccerlens, it’s hard to envision him finding immediate success in the highly competitive Premier League.

His potential is obvious, however, and with the proper guidance, it’s not a stretch to believe he might one day come close to playing at the level that saw his Uruguayan predecessor become one of the most feared strikers in the world.

Paired with Divock Origi, who is currently on loan at Lille, the Reds’ attacking duo might even resemble the pair of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge during the 2013-14 season, terrorising just about every defence they faced.

It’s far too early to get carried away, however—Baez hasn’t even signed yet, and as of right now, his allure is built around his potential and little more.

The Reds will face competition in the race for the signature of another striker, as La Provence (h/t talkSPORT) claims Galatasaray and Inter Milan are also eyeing Olympique Marseille‘s Andre-Pierre Gignac.

The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of this season and is expected to leave his current club. According to WhoScored.com, he has scored 11 goals in just 16 appearances in 2014-15.

Italian media recently suggested he could be on the move in January, but the forward ruled out a transfer this winter in an interview with FcInterNews.it (h/t Football Italia):

I told the Italian journalists that everything depends on the conditions which will determine whether I’ll renew my contract or not. That’s why the media in Milan flared up. But first of all I’d like to know if the Coach is going to be staying, it’s an important factor when considering whether to renew.

[…] I still have great things to do with this club. All the more so if we can reach some targets for the supporters by the end of the season.

My priority is still Marseille and its President, as I always said, and this won’t be changing now.

If Marseille will choose not to renew my contract or will not be able to, or if the Coach will leave – these are important things to consider when making my final choice. There is no way that I will be leaving in the winter.

Bleacher Report UK’s Jonathan Johnson heard him make a similar statement after the match against Lorient, as all signs point toward his future depending heavily on that of manager Marcelo Bielsa:

The Argentine manager has guided Marseille to the top of the Ligue 1 table, and as of right now, he appears to be a safe bet to stay with the club for the foreseeable future.

Gignac is on pace to smash his personal best for goals in a season, via WhoScored, so it’s easy to see why he would be keen to continue his career under Bielsa. The fact he has never scored more than 16 goals in a single Ligue 1 campaign suggests this season may not be representative of his actual quality.

The former Toulouse man seems unlikely to move in January, and given Liverpool’s need for quality at the striker position, Rodgers may choose to look in a different direction. Bleacher Report UK’s Ryan Bailey and Matt Ladson have so far been unimpressed with the attacking reinforcements the Northern Irishman has brought in:

The Reds have plenty of bodies up front—adding another good, not great player won’t help the team when Sturridge returns from injury. While Gignac would be a nice option as a free agent at the end of the season, the reported interest from several other clubs means the price could be driven up should he decide to move on from Marseille.

Liverpool need help in January, and it doesn’t look like Gignac will be available at that time. With Origi returning from Lille during the summer, Rodgers may have no need for another striker ahead of the 2015-16 season.

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In the history of mankind, we’ve valued different traits at different points in our evolution. But there’s little question that in modern society, intelligence has replaced strength as the ideal trait to continue our evolution as a species. 

Smarts cures diseases. Smarts lands probes on planets. Smarts can change the world. It’s all about being smart, folks. 

Setting your fantasy lineup shouldn’t be any different. Don’t try to predict how many points a player will score in a given week, folks. Try to determine just how smart it is to start that player based on several factors. Curious what those factors should be?

Read on, as I reveal my Week 14 startability rankings. 

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, see here. Abridged version: Startability measures how smart it is to start a given player in a week rather than attempting to project how many points he will score. “Ability” measures a player’s overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. “Offense” measures how much that team’s offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall “startability” grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Quarterbacks

There aren’t too many surprises at quarterback this week, as by this time in the year we have a pretty good idea of whom you can trust and whom you can’t. Two interesting cases are Tony Romo and Ryan Tannehill, however. 

Last week, both players had amazing matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, respectively, two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. And both players disappointed. Romo only managed a measly three fantasy points and was hassled by Philly’s pass rush all game long, while Tannehill could only squeak out eight points against Rex Ryan‘s hapless Jets.

So I wouldn’t blame you for being gun-shy about either player this week. But I would also be remiss if I didn’t point out that Romo was facing a Chicago defense that is giving up 20.3 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per week, 31st in the NFL, while Tannehill faces a Baltimore defense that has given up a total of 803 passing yards and six passing scores in the past two games.

If you are streaming quarterbacks, either player is an enticing option given the matchup. No, these aren’t the most trustworthy of choices, but both have very nice upsides given the opponents. 

Tom Brady has slowed down a bit. After five straight starts with 20 or more points, he’s failed to reach that threshold in three straight contests. Joe Flacco just threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns—he also rushed for another score—and finished with 23 fantasy points against the San Diego Chargers, however, so perhaps Brady can get back on track in a meeting against the Bolts.

Running Backs

LeSean McCoy is back, folks.

With a mostly healthy offensive line once again and a renewed focus on the ground game, McCoy has rushed for a total of 289 yards and two scores in the past two weeks. It’s been a long and bumpy road for Shady’s owners this season, but the electrifying back is hitting his stride just in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Even in a really, really tough matchup, it’s tough not to trust C.J. Anderson. While the Buffalo Bills are allowing just 11.3 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, second in the NFL, Anderson has a whopping 79 fantasy points in his last four games. 

More importantly, the Denver Broncos have had a running back notch at least 10 fantasy points in eight straight games now (Ronnie Hillman for the first four, Anderson the last four). Don’t be surprised if Anderson has success this week, even against Buffalo’s stout front seven.

Rashad Jennings should have a huge week against a Tennessee Titans defense that has given up 147 total fantasy points to opposing running backs in their last five games, an average of 29.4 per week. Start him with confidence.

Wide Receivers

Each week we are surprised by some of the players that explode at various positions. But generally speaking, one of the positions that has remained predictable this year is wide receiver. For the most part, you can trust your studs to perform.

Just look at Week 13. DeAndre Hopkins exploded for 35 points, sure, but he’s been pretty darn good all year. Calvin Johnson scoring 26 points, Julio Jones scoring 24, Antonio Brown scoring 23 or Alshon Jeffery scoring 19 were hardly huge surprises.

A total of 25 wide receivers registered double-digit points last week, and 14 of those players are ranked in the top 26 in fantasy points this season (A.J. Green comes in at No. 26, though of course he’d be far higher on the list if he hadn’t dealt with so many injury issues this season).

Thus, in many ways these rankings are much more about which fringe players are viable starters this week and which matchups might push a player down the rankings (in this case, you might want to consider benching Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews against the Seattle Seahawks, a team that just so happens to possess the best secondary in the NFL). 

At this point in the season, you know who your studs are at wide receiver. Start them. You can’t afford to get cute and, quite frankly, the top receivers this season have been steady enough that you shouldn’t be worrying about them at all in the first place.

Tight Ends

If you are like me, you are desperately hoping Julius Thomas can return this week. One of the biggest advantages in fantasy football this season has been owning either Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham or Thomas, so missing Orange Julius has likely sent your team into a slump in recent weeks.

Gronkowski has scored 27 more points than anyone else at the position, while Graham and Thomas come in at Nos. 2 and 3 despite each battling through injuries this season. Heck, only two other players (Antonio Gates and Greg Olsen) have even exceeded 100 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues.

Still, if Thomas ends up missing even more time, there are alternatives out there. Heath Miller has 15 total fantasy points total in the past two weeks, while Jordan Reed is coming off of a nice performance, catching nine passes for 123 yards. 

No, neither player has the upside of a Thomas. But if you are without Orange Julius, at least each offers a pretty good chance to get seven or more points out of a truly inconsistent position this season.

Defense/Special Teams

Kickers

Hit me up on Twitter—I’ll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It’s more fun than being Richard Sherman when the San Francisco 49ers come to town.

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