Argentina legend Diego Maradona believes Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are on the “same level” in terms of quality, but he says goalkeepers are more afraid of the Real Madrid man.

Both have hit extraordinary levels of consistency in recent times, with no player other than Portugal’s Ronaldo or Argentina’s Messi winning the coveted Ballon d’Or in the last seven years.

In terms of contributions to goals, the pair are unmatched across Europe this season, per Squawka:

Maradona believes Ronaldo’s ability in front of goal put him alongside Barcelona’s Messi at the top of the world game, per Guillem Balague of Sky Sports’ Revista de La Liga:

Cristiano is a predator in front of goal. You can’t let Cristiano shoot from anywhere in the opposition half. 

Goalkeepers are scared of him. You have to be honest, goalkeepers are scared of Cristiano. They are not so scared of Messi in those areas because he doesn’t have the same power as Cristiano. 

Cristiano is an incredible professional. I think at this present time he is right up there at Messi’s level. 

It’s not the case that Messi is better than Ronaldo or Ronaldo is better than Messi. I think they are at the same level.

In La Liga this season, Ronaldo has his nose in front in terms of goals scored, having netted 42 times compared to Messi’s 40, per WhoScored.com.

However, it looks likely that Messi’s Barca will take the title, as they sit four points ahead of second-placed Real with just two games remaining.

The world’s two best players could well be set to meet in this year’s Champions League final in Berlin, a showdown Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes the pair deserve:

Barca’s place in the final is effectively already sealed following their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in their semi-final first leg.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid host Juventus in the second leg of their semi-final at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, and they will need to turn around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.

Widely considered as one of the best players of all time, Maradona also waded into the argument surrounding the best managers currently working in football.

The 54-year-old believes that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is better than Bayern’s Pep Guardiola, per Balague:

For me, Mourinho is the greatest without a shadow of a doubt because he knows what you’re going to say before you say it. 

It’s extremely dangerous! That’s what makes him Mourinho. That’s what makes him the greatest. 

Pep or Mourinho? I say Mourinho. I think Pep needs a little more time, as Mourinho has had, to be Mourinho. 

Mourinho and Guardiola have already sealed their respective domestic titles this season. At 44 years old, Guardiola is eight years Mourinho’s junior and has five domestic titles and two Champions League wins as a manager.

The Portuguese Mourinho has won eight domestic titles—two with Porto, three with Chelsea, two with Inter Milan and one with Real—and also has two Champions League titles to his name.

Neither looks likely to add to his European trophy cabinet this season, Chelsea having been knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage and Bayern on the brink of going out to Barca.

However, they are both at the top of their games, and as Maradona notes, Mourinho has had more time in management, hence his better record.

There is little doubt that Messi, Ronaldo, Mourinho and Guardiola will go on to win many more titles and awards in their respective careers.

The comparison between the two pairs of greats is largely pointless, but for Maradona, Mourinho has the edge over Guardiola, while Messi and Ronaldo are inseparable.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1ItrHJv
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

An expensive summer awaits Manchester City, who are being linked with a £70 million raid for Paul Pogba, not to mention potential deals for Kevin De Bruyne and Roberto Firmino.

Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star suggests City owner Sheikh Mansour will offer a British-record transfer fee for Pogba, whose potential departure from Juventus is likely to be one of the stories of the summer. Cross believes a contract of £250,000 per week after tax will be sent the Frenchman’s way.

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail also reports this story but believes Pogba “will have the pick of Europe’s elite” if he opts to leave Turin. Pogba is an obvious choice to replace Yaya Toure, who continues to be linked with a move to Inter Milan or Paris Saint-Germain, reported by Sky Sports News (h/t Andy Hunter of the Guardian).

Pogba is built to shine in any of Europe’s top leagues. At just 22 years old, he’s already physically dominant and possesses the turn of pace needed to get away from opponents. He passes quickly and moves forward to support attacks without compromising his defensive duties. City’s recent success has been built around Toure’s powerful runs forward ending in vital goals, something Pogba would be more than capable of replicating.

After six weeks out with injury, he netted on his return to Juve’s first team on Saturday, per Squawka:

Pogba’s injury-hit season has yielded eight goals in 23 Serie A matches, reported by WhoScored.com. He’s maturing all the time, and it’s likely his next club will reap the benefits of his peak years, making his decision pivotal. There’s no doubt Pogba would be a statement signing for any elite side. City will face a difficult battle, however, but B/R UK’s Rob Pollard thinks his arrival makes sense:

De Bruyne, Firmino Double Deal for City?

De Bruyne and Firmino represent far easier targets to lure. Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star indicates the former would cost £35 million after his terrific season with Wolfsburg, while Firmino of Hoffenheim would be available for £18 million.

Squawka highlights why De Bruyne’s price tag has rocketed in recent months:

He is an endlessly creative player when working under the right conditions. De Bruyne needs runners moving forward ahead of his position in attacking midfield, as he loves to control the ball, look up and quickly swipe possession on. He almost stops while the game progresses around him before bursting into life with a game-changing pass.

The 23-year-old has a point to prove in the Premier League too after failing to make the grade at Chelsea.

Hetherington suggests City centre-back Vincent Kompany has recommended De Bruyne to the club after playing with him for Belgium. The developing youngster would fit in with City’s style of play and could thrive with the side, known for their sweeping moves through midfield, perhaps slotting in alongside David Silva behind Sergio Aguero.

Following his breakout season in 2013/14, Firmino has also produced some spectacular moments this term, highlighted below:

The Brazilian has nine goals and six assists in 32 matches and is also built of stronger stuff than many expect. His passing, dribbling and vision has helped Hoffenheim to an impressive ninth position this campaign, but he’s rapidly outgrowing the club. 

Firmino averages 2.7 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match, reported by WhoScored, and could work as an attack-minded central midfielder alongside a more defensive player. 

Talk of Pep Guardiola taking over City continues to run throughout the media, reported by Cross. If manager Manuel Pellegrini is to be replaced, it’s likely the new boss will want to shape the squad in his own image. Either way, City need to spend big to compete with Chelsea next season.

A failure to do so will provide Manchester United and Liverpool with an opportunity to close the gap on the Etihad Stadium club.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1KzOIIi
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Liverpool are reportedly looking to Lyon hotshot Alexandre Lacazette to solve their striker crisis, with a £20 million bid reportedly ready to launch—as Izzy Horsefield of the Daily Express writes.

The Reds have been haunted by the ghost of Luis Suarez this season, with the club’s misfiring strikers looking like costing them a place in next season’s Champions League.

However, manager Brendan Rodgers won’t want their return to this year’s European stage to be a fleeting fancy, and Lacazette may be the answer.

The French striker has scored 27 goals in just 31 league games this season—per WhoScored.com— with his pace, power and finishing ability causing nightmares for Ligue 1 defenders.

His style is similar to that of Barcelona’s Suarez, as he’s incredibly direct whenever he gets on the ball.

The best strikers in the world all have one thought in their mind when they’re out on the pitch: find a way to score.

Luckily for Lacazette, he finds a way more often than not.

Such dynamic ability in front of goal hasn’t gone unnoticed, either, and Liverpool will have to fight off competition from rivals Manchester United to secure the striker’s signature.

Plus, journalist John Smith believes that a £20 million bid won’t be enough to get the 23-year-old to Anfield, as Lyon are desperate to keep hold of their star man:

A big offer would be hard to turn down for the French club, though, and while other suitors may be in line for Lacazette, the Reds’ promise of regular first-team football will be a tempting lure.

His capture will once again give Rodgers a front two to strike fear into Premier League opposition, and Guillem Balague exclusively told Bleacher Report that’s exactly what he needs:

The Reds will undoubtedly be landing a striker or two in the upcoming transfer window, but it’s getting the right player in that’s of paramount importance.

Rickie Lambert wasn’t right, Mario Balotelli wasn’t right—is Lacazette the answer?

Mateo Kovacic

Inter Milan’s young sensation Mateo Kovacic has been at the heart of Liverpool’s transfer rumours of late, with a £7 million bid reportedly tabled by the Reds for his signature.

However, new developments have seen the Reds’ chances of landing the midfielder hit a wall, as Inter have demanded a much bigger fee for their star.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via George Bellshaw of Metro, the Italian giants have told Liverpool to pay £16 million to secure the services of Kovacic.

However, it doesn’t look like the transfer is going to be as simple as that.

Earlier this year, Kovacic’s agent Nikky Vuksan dismissed all chances of his player leaving the San Siro—per Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express:

It is not going to happen. Mateo extended his contract with Inter in January. Could it be that clubs are negotiating? No, that is not possible without Mateo and me knowing about it. Also, I have a player at Liverpool, Dejan Lovren (so I would know about it). Both the English and Italian media speculate and find new clubs that want Kovacic every week. He’ll stay at Inter. Also, if there was something going on, believe me journalists would be the last to find out.

One journalist who does know a thing or two, however, is beIN Sports’ Tancredi Palmeri, who suggested that Liverpool would have to pay a lot more than £16 million to land the midfielder:

Seen as a replacement for Steven Gerrard in the heart of the side, Kovacic is enjoying an excellent season for Inter. However, at just 21 years of age, he still has a lot to learn.

Rodgers is undoubtedly a good manager to develop under, and if the Liverpool boss wants Kovacic, he should go all out to sign him.

A few talented players have slipped through the Reds’ fingers over the past few transfer windows, and if Rodgers doesn’t act fast and meet Inter’s demands, he can add Kovacic’s name to that list.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1ItV5ho
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Italian teams have fared well in the Europa League this season, with both Napoli and Fiorentina reaching the semi-finals of the competition. Now that winning the tournament offers a direct route through to the following season’s Champions League, it is seen as a potentially lucrative opportunity rather than a tiring chore.

With four fixtures remaining, the top four in Serie A appears settled. Juventus have been crowned champions, while Roma, Lazio and Napoli are set to battle it out for the two Champions League berths beneath the Bianconeri. One of those three will miss out and thus end up in one of the three Europa League berths.

The other two Europa League spots are up for grabs, however. Just four points separate Fiorentina in fifth from Torino in ninth, with Sampdoria, Genoa and Inter Milan squeezed between them. It makes for a fascinating end to the season.

Here I will analyse all five teams’ chances of earning a place in next season’s Europa League. The assessment will be based on four areas:

Coach: quality of their coach and performance of their coach thus far this season.

Players: quality of their players, including potential match-winners.

Form: How have they been performing of late?

Fixtures: What games do they have left to play?

Begin Slideshow

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1H6XKPk
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Serie A giants Inter Milan and AS Roma, as well as Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco, are among 10 clubs who reached a settlement agreement with UEFA regarding Financial Fair Play violations on Friday.  

The Guardian‘s Owen Gibson announced the news:

UEFA later confirmed the news by releasing a statement on its official website:

The Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) Investigatory Chamber today announced that ten clubs, for which investigations were opened following non-compliance with Financial Fair Play (FFP) break-even regulations, have individually agreed to settlement agreements.

The clubs are AS Monaco FC, AS Roma, Besiktas JK, FC Internazionale Milano, FC Krasnodar, FC Lokomotiv Moskva and Sporting Clube de Portugal and, for minor breaches, FC Rostov, Kardemir Karabukspor and PFC CSKA Sofia.

The CFCB Investigatory Chamber also announced that VfL Wolsburg have been found (following the submission of additional financial information) to have satisfied the break-even requirement and are no longer under investigation.

Specifically, UEFA’s sanctions aim to ensure each club on the list manages to break even as quickly as possible, while each club will also have to deal with both financial and sportive punishment.

Roma, Inter and Monaco have all agreed to limit the amount of players they’re allowed to place on the “A” list for participation, per UEFA’s official website, while each club will also be limited in the amount of new players they’re allowed to sign for the foreseeable future.

Rome were also given a fine of up to €6 million, while Monaco will pay up to €13 million, and Inter could pay as much as €20 million.

Those fines will not impact the club’s books, and they won’t count against their goal of breaking even in the foreseeable future.

For all clubs involved, the 2018-19 season is targeted as the date by which breaking even has to be accomplished.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1zKqt9R
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Arsenal “can expect” to stump up approximately £25 million for Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, according to a report in the Express (h/t Telegraph Sport).

ESPN FC sources recently suggested the Gunners have “made contact” with Saints over the impressive midfielder. The speculated price tag of £25 million should be considered the upper end of what Schneiderlin is worth after yet another notable season in the Premier League.

The France international would bring a unique physical presence to Arsenal‘s short, scrappy midfield.

Manager Arsene Wenger needs a tall, powerful central midfielder to patrol the halfway line and allow the Gunners’ attack to swamp forward without a second thought. Schneiderlin’s ball-playing skills and ability to read the game make him an obvious candidate.

Saints boss Ronald Koeman believes there is a good chance Schneiderlin will run out at St. Mary’s next season. When asked if the player will leave, he replied: “I don’t think so,” per Sky Sports. “He has a contract with the club and nobody has made a serious bid for the player.” 

Southampton proved themselves willing to sell key individuals for the right price last summer, with Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert among those to leave. Arsenal snapped up Calum Chambers, so they at least have a recent working relationship with the club.

Zamparini: Arsenal Would Like to Sign Dybala

During his press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League fixture with Swansea City, Wenger suggested he will only look to improve his squad if the right players become available, per Arsenal’s official Twitter feed:

The club continues to be linked with Palermo striker Paulo Dybala, reported by the Press Association (h/t Daily Mail). Maurizio Zamparini, the Sicilian club’s president, recently name-dropped Arsenal’s interest during an interview with La Repubblica (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro):

I have asked [club manager Giuseppe] Iachini not to play Dybala in these last few games. It’s possible that in the next eight to ten days we will sell the player, and I want to avoid injuries in this very delicate phase.

There is strong interest in him. In Italy there’s Juventus, Inter and Milan. Meanwhile, in Europe there’s Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, as well as Manchester City, who would like to try and get him but must sell first for Financial Fair Play.

Zamparini has long touted the 21-year-old, who has scored 13 goals in Serie A this season, per Soccerway. Palermo rarely possess a player of such worth and rightly want to squeeze as much value out of the deal as possible.

Bellshaw’s article indicates Dybala will cost £29 million, so whichever club pays up will be highlighting an almighty show of faith in the player’s ability. He is a crafty user of the ball and someone who could aid Arsenal’s offensive passing game, as seen below:

Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported Inter Milan had made a hefty offer, relayed by Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports:

As such, Wenger will need to stump up if Dybala is to become an Arsenal player next season. He is an exciting prospect, but the Gunners boss will need to decide whether he opts for experience or exciting youth when spending major funds in a bid to catch Premier League champions Chelsea.

Arsenal have plenty of young talent at their disposal, so Wenger may be inclined to strengthen his squad with a flurry of world-class, fully developed signings. Dybala is quickly becoming a lethal striker, though, and he could certainly work well alongside Olivier Giroud.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1JvnYZe
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Legendary Arsenal centre-back Tony Adams is reportedly looking to raise £150 million in order to lodge an Aston Villa takeover bid.

Mark Kleinman of Sky News reports that Adams has been working alongside former Chelsea executive Paul Smith in an attempt to raise capital from investors:

They have approached a number of private equity and other investment firms in recent weeks in an effort to raise approximately £75m in new equity to finance an offer for Aston Villa.

The remainder of the funding for a takeover would probably be in the form of new debt, with a unit of Goldman Sachs understood to have been sounded out about providing the additional capital.

Villa owner Randy Lerner placed the club up for sale in May 2014, according to Darren Lewis and James Nursey of the Mirror, who suggest the £150 million valuation stems from the bumper new Premier League television rights deal.

Lerner has helped the club reduce its massive losses, according to Villa’s chief financial officer Robin Russell, as reported by Lewis and Nursey: “We are very pleased to be able to report improved results after a period of heavy financial losses,” noted Russell. “By controlling costs we have been able to take advantage of the new Premier League broadcasting deal to bring the club closer to self-sufficiency.”

Perhaps worryingly for Lerner, Villa are just two points outside the relegation zone. They won’t be privy to some of the £5.1 billion fortune paid by Sky and BT Sport if they drop down to the Championship, a plummet that would seriously harm the club’s worth.

Kleinman suggests Adams and Smith have set up a new company, named Halo, with which they plan to establish a football club network across the globe. It is even suggested Italian giants Inter Milan, Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, plus teams in the Brazilian and Belgian leagues are being targeted by Halo.

Vitally, Kleinman admits Adams and Smith face competition for Villa: “Halo has been given access to a data room holding information on Aston Villa’s finances, although its bid is not understood to be the current frontrunner of those remaining in the process.”

Since retiring from professional football in 2002, Adams has struggled through managerial spells with Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth and Azerbaijani side Gabala. He remains one of Arsenal’s most iconic players.

On the surface of it, Villa should remain an attractive prospect. The club has a fantastic fanbase, a revered stadium and has appeared in every season of the Premier League. Up until recent times, they could be considered contenders for a top-six finish.

Those succeeding Lerner will need to invest in the team while making sure star players, such as striker Christian Benteke and midfield dynamo Fabian Delph, remain at the club.

As noted by Kleinman, it is yet to be revealed whether Adams and Smith have secured adequate financial backing to move forward with their alleged plans.

The final three matches of the Premier League season are likely to play a major role in this situation, with Villa’s value hanging on the club’s ability to avoid the drop.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1H1AIXe
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Manchester City‘s Yaya Toure looks bound for the exit door at the Etihad Stadium this summer following a poor season in the Premier League.

The Sky Blues failed miserably in their title defence in 2014-15, with Chelsea confirming their league win on Sunday.

Talismanic midfielder Toure has been far from his best this term, a shadow of the player he was when City won the league in 2013-14, which led to the Ivorian being named as the club’s Player of the Season, per Stuart Brennan in the Manchester Evening News.

As a result, Toure looks set to depart City in the summer, with his agent, Dimitri Seluk, confirming as much to Amy Lewis of Sky Sports News:

Serie A looks the most likely destination for the 31-year-old. Nima Tavallaey Roodsari reports on GianlucaDiMarzio.com that Juventus are unwilling to do a deal that would see them receive Toure plus cash in exchange for Paul Pogba.

However, Inter Milan are “very interested,” per Roodsari, with the Serie A giants reportedly confident of tempting Toure away on the cheap, aware of City’s desire to free up funds ahead of a summer of change at the Etihad, per the Manchester Evening News‘ Anthony Jepson.

A clear out at City looks likely in the summer, per Bleacher Report’s Rob Pollard, but as Toure still has two years left on his current contract, the Sky Blues would surely look to make some money off him if they are to sell:

Toure is still a top-class player, his physicality makes him a dangerous presence in attack and defence, but he has failed to hit the heights of previous seasons this term, per Sky Sports News HQ:

It seems that he will head for pastures new in the summer—Roodsari also reports interest from Real Madrid—meaning City will find themselves short of a world-class presence in central midfield.

Pogba Targeted, De Bruyne Open to Move 

Juve’s Pogba is, unsurprisingly, City’s No. 1 target to fill Toure’s shoes, per John Cross and David McDonnell in the Mirror. 

The report suggests City are prepared to spend over £50 million to sign the Frenchman. Toure, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic are reportedly all set to be offloaded to fund such a move.

The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with Pogba, meaning the Sky Blues will have to utilise their significant financial muscle if they are to get their man.

The 22-year-old Pogba would be a perfect replacement for Toure and an ideal man around whom to build a new title-winning squad.

Kevin De Bruyne could also be another summer signing for City, with the Belgian recently admitting that he could depart Wolfsburg in the summer if an attractive enough offer came in, per Kicker (h/t Stephen Uersfeld on ESPN FC):

You never know what will happen in football. A club might step in and make an offer that pleases Wolfsburg and also makes me happy. Right now, I say that I will stay in Wolfsburg. I don’t like it when players say they’ll stay no matter what and are gone after the first offer.

The former Chelsea man has had a stunning season in the Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals and providing 19 assists, per WhoScored.com.

Along with David Silva and Sergio Aguero, De Bruyne could form one third of a devastating attacking trio at City. With Pogba potentially sitting behind them, City would be title challengers again for sure.

City have the financial muscle to get themselves back to the top of English football, but it will require a lot of movement in the coming summer transfer window.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1QpRG5T
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Yaya Toure, Manchester City’s Ivorian midfielder, will turn 32 later this month, and after a season in which he’s failed to recapture the form of old, there’s talk, once again, of a move away from the Etihad in the next transfer window.

According to Mike Keegan writing in the Daily Mail, Toure is wanted by former boss Roberto Mancini, now in charge at Inter Milan. Inter have struggled this year, and it’s likely Mancini sees Toure as a potential catalyst for improved performances.

After scoring 20 league goals last season, arguably making him City’s most important player during their league-and-cup double-winning campaign, Toure has regressed during 2014-15.

The loss of his younger brother to cancer during the summer adversely affected him, and his absence from City during January when he went to play at this year’s AFCON tournament in Equatorial Guinea has also disrupted his rhythm.

His influence at City has undoubtedly been on the decline over the last 12 months.

Manuel Pellegrini, the City boss, recently expressed his concern at Toure’s form this season. “For a lot of reasons he’s not the same Yaya he was last season but he continues being a very important player for our team,” said Pellegrini. 

“I don’t think Yaya is happy with his performance this year, and I am not happy also with his performance. But we must support him and he will return him to his normal performance.

“He’s a very important player and he will have my support until the end of the season.”

He’s scored fewer goals and had less influence this season, and City have struggled to compensate for his decline and remain competitive for the title.

Add to that the seemingly constant interventions from his agent, Dimitry Seluk, who continually looks to unsettle his client, and the case for selling Toure perhaps becomes stronger. The City fans are fed up of the constant speculation surrounding their star midfielder, and for many, his interventions are reason enough to dispense of his services. 

Of course, replacing him remains the impossible task; with his mix of attributes so unique there simply isn’t another player who can fulfil the same role. But City, you feel, need to begin the process of rebuilding and preparing for life without their influential midfielder, and this summer is perhaps the best time start. 

And a switch to Serie A, if it materialised, would be a good move for Toure. The speed of the game is much slower, and with Toure set to turn 32 later this month, his blistering pace is likely to be on the decline. With his standing in world football still so high, it’s probably the right time for everyone if he moves on. 

If he does leave City this summer, he will be remembered as one of the greatest players in the club’s history. There have been times when his languid style has frustrated City supporters, with accusations of laziness thrown around liberally in the stands, but the list of defining moments Toure has delivered means he’s a bona fide Sky Blues legend.

His winner against Manchester United in the 2011 FA Cup was seismic—the moment City finally arrived and their fans believed they could be successful. He then bagged the winner in the final against Stoke, bringing an end to the club’s agonising 35-year wait for a major trophy, taking City from a side full of potential to one ready to become the dominant English force over the coming years.

A double in the penultimate game of the 2011-12 season away at Newcastle pushed City to the brink of their first title in 44 years, and a goal in last season’s League Cup final win, followed by a series of vital strikes in the run-in as City closed in on their second title in three years, further underlined his big-game credentials.

They’re memories imprinted upon the consciousness of everyone connected to City. Toure’s position in the pantheon of City greats is well and truly secure. But football, as the saying goes, is no place for sentiment, and it is perhaps time he and City parted company after five glorious and successful years together. 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report’s lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1cabvyT
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Liverpool seem mathematically and logistically unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League through their Premier League exploits this term, but this doesn’t have to prove fatal to their summer transfer plan.

The Reds are four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with three games to go, but have difficult clashes with Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Stoke City to come.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has all but given up hope on a top-four finish, with his words relayed by the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) last month.

“We want to be in the Champions League, that is important and it is key for us, but it is highly unlikely this year. I wouldn’t expect the others to slip up.”

And, as he attests, this may impact on their transfer-market clout this summer: “Liverpool is a phenomenal club that players want to play for, but, of course, players want to play at the top level of the game and if you are not in the Champions League it makes it difficult for you.”

But, still, missing out on the Champions League won’t necessary scupper their transfer plans.

The State of Things

The way Liverpool’s season has panned out, should a meltdown in the Kop be expected?

Measuring the state of things, in context with last season’s near-success, several mitigating factors from this term and the fortunes of those around them in terms of the league table, it can be argued otherwise.

Liverpool’s 2013/14 title challenge was largely considered a surprise.

The direct attacking football they played, led by the effervescent striking tandem of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who scored 52 league goals between them, blew teams away, taken them by surprise and often finishing games off before half-time.

This season however, the losses of both Suarez (through sale) and Sturridge (through injury) has made this impossible.

Rodgers attested to this following the Reds’ 0-0 April draw away to West Bromwich Albion, as reported by Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo:

Taking 52 goals out of your team doesn’t help you. The players that are playing showed terrific quality, but we just couldn’t quite make the breakthrough.

[…]

We just don’t score as many goals [this season], it’s as simple as that. The players are giving the same effort, the same attitude, the skills we’re transferring are the same. We had two players last year who played in our front three who, between them, got 50+ goals. And we don’t have that.

So the players are giving absolutely everything like you seen today, some real good bits of play, some clever bits of invention around the box, it was just that final little piece.

Glancing at the current Premier League table, with Liverpool still in with a chance of a top-four finish despite their struggles, it is clear to see that with those goals Rodgers’ side would probably have clinched Champions League qualification long before this point.

They have scored 10 goals less than fourth-placed Manchester United, for example, having conceded just three more.

Rodgers putting in faith in Sturridge as his first-choice striker was perhaps a mistake, but it is difficult to legislate for a season’s worth of injuries.

Of course, along with the losses of both Suarez and Sturridge, Liverpool’s difficulty in finding that “final little piece” can also be attributed to Rodgers’ own failings in the transfer market—the £16 million signing of the ill-fitting Mario Balotelli is a prime example.

But, despite the supporters’ ire, Liverpool still aren’t far from challenging.

This summer it will be made more difficult in building towards that if the Reds miss out of Champions League qualification, but it is still possible.

Liverpool’s “Project”

As Rodgers continued his appraisal of Liverpool’s position in the transfer market were they not to qualify for next season’s Champions League, the manager declared: “Most players want to be in the Champions League, but I think also that Liverpool is a great club.

“I said that before I came into the job, and it is been even more rubber-stamped now that I have been here for two-and-a-half-years.”

What Rodgers is falsely clinging to, of course, is the notion that the prestige of Liverpool’s illustrious history, as one of the most successful clubs of all time, is enough to tempt big-name signings to Merseyside.

This is wrong, and will be more and more so as football becomes a purely financial game.

We saw this last season, when Alexis Sanchez chose Arsenal over Liverpool as he departed Barcelona. Rodgers believes, as reported by the London Evening Standard, that the Chilean’s decision to join the Gunners was “about where the player and his family wanted to choose to live.”

Liverpool cannot lean on their history, because players no longer care—why choose the side that last won the league 25 years ago, when a club with more immediate prospects, higher financial incentives and attractive geographical advantages is your other option?

Instead, and both Rodgers and the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group will be well aware of this, Liverpool need to convince players that they’re building a successful model for the future.

This can work, as one of last summer’s signings Divock Origi, who will join up with Rodgers’ squad this summer after a season on loan with Ligue 1 side Lille, has attested to.

Origi told the club’s official website last month about why chose to join the Reds:

To see the players develop and play in a top league in such a young team, for me it’s very exciting.

When you see how the coach and the staff work with the young players—how Sterling, for example, has learned over the years and how Ibe is now integrating with the team, it is very interesting. It is very nice to have seen that this season.

The manager is one of the reasons I came to Liverpool—he’s someone who has proven he knows how to work with young players, knows how to develop young players and also lets them play.

The 20-year-old fell for Liverpool’s vision, rather than their history.

This is what they must opt for in attempting to convince potential signings that a move to Merseyside is the right one.

Value in the Market?

Of course, this cannot be managed with a certain level of player—it would be difficult to imagine Rodgers persuading Angel Di Maria to choose Liverpool over the lucrative climbs of Old Trafford simply because they’ll be nicer to him.

Therefore, this must be married with careful planning and scouring of the market, as there is still attainable value around.

Take PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay, for example, who was credibly linked with a move to Liverpool by the Mirror‘s David Maddock at the end of April. This is a player who has scored 21 goals in 28 games this season but, in performing in the lesser-favoured Eredivisie, is still a reasonable target.

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen forward Son Heung-Min, linked to the club courtesy of quotes from his agent via German publication Bild (h/t Simon Jones of MailOnline), is an 11-goal, 27-game 22-year-old who could be available to a club like the Reds if Leverkusen follow through with interest in Hoffenheim’s Kevin Volland.

Even Inter Milan‘s highly rated midfielder Mateo Kovacic, tenuously rumoured to be interesting Rodgers by Spanish site Fichajes.net (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro), could be tempted to move on to an ambitious Anfield outfit due to Inter’s current mid-table struggles.

There is value in the market—Liverpool just need to be sensible in finding it, and move swiftly.

Maddock even asserts that Depay was impressed with Liverpool’s “vision,” suggesting that he could spurn the advances of United as a result.

In theory, this can work.

This is how Liverpool have always worked throughout Rodgers’ tenure, even last season when they had qualified for the Champions League, as the manager explained with praise for the £10 million summer signing of Emre Can, as reported by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo in February.

“I think £10 million will prove to be a bargain for Emre,” he said. “That’s the nature of the model here. We look to bring in players who we can develop.

“Look at Daniel Sturridge. We bought him for £12 million. What would Daniel be worth now? Philippe Coutinho, £8 million, what’s his value? What would Raheem Sterling be worth?

“They come into a real coaching environment here and it’s my job to make them better players.”

Of course, Liverpool being able to throw money at big-name, ready-made stars would benefit them in terms of short-term success. But if Rodgers is able to convince players such as Depay, Son and Kovacic that they can grow as part of a dominant group on Merseyside, then the club will be all the better for it.

So long as Liverpool are realistic, plan carefully and lower their expectations slightly, there’s no reason why missing out on Champions League qualification this season will prove fatal in the transfer market.

As Rodgers says: “If we can regroup again, get some quality starters in for the summer, then we can go on another great adventure next season and hopefully get back in there.”

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

Follow @jacklusby

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1c589x8
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J