Month: April 2021

Thomas Tuchel has insisted that Christian Pulisic can be a “huge weapon” for Chelsea before the end of the season.

Pulisic signed for Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in January 2019 and he linked up with his new teammates that summer. The Blues signed him for around £58m.

The American shone for the Londoners last season as he grabbed eleven goals and ten assists from his 34 outings.

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But the midfielder has struggled with injuries of late and his form has dipped this campaign. He has already played 30 times this term, but he only had three goals and an assist.

Pulisic has returned to form of late, though. He got on the scoresheet as Chelsea were beaten 5-2 by West Brom last weekend. The winger is likely to play a part on Saturday against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Speaking ahead of that game, as cited by West London Sport, Tuchel suggested that it is important that the Blues give Pulisic confidence:

“His fitness is always important because Christian has this huge physical with the amounts of sprints and the intensity that he can give to the team at the highest level.

“This is one of his biggest strengths but he needs to feel confident and calm mentally and then he can be a huge weapon for us.

“We have to take care of him and hopefully he won’t be re-injured.

“He scored against West Brom but unfortunately the overall game and his need to go off at half time clouded the goal and the impact he could have had.

“But now against Porto he was very close to scoring and he had a big impact from the bench.

“I feel him getting stronger and more self-confident. He can be a decisive factor in the next game with his speed, his ability to dribble and his ability arrive in the box from dangerous situations.

“He has the feeling to arrive and score and hopefully he can have that impact. It’s our job to push him there and make sure he feels the trust and feels confident.”

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Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has dismissed the notion that Tottenham Hotspur still have a chance of getting into the top four, claiming Jose Mourinho only has ‘a few top players’ at his disposal.

Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw by Newcastle United last weekend, leaving them three points adrift of fourth place West Ham United who secured a 3-2 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.

They take on Manchester United, Everton and Southampton over the coming weeks before their Carabao Cup final showdown with Manchester City on April 25, when Mourinho will look to become the first Spurs manager to win a ‘major’ trophy since Juande Ramos led them to Carling Cup glory in 2008.

Merson, though, is not convinced by the decorated veteran’s methods, and is even less convinced by the inherent quality in the Spurs squad.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Arsenal man said: “He’s calling out top players, but they are not all top players. Tottenham have a few top players, but that’s it.

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FEATURE: Big Weekend: Spurs v Man Utd, Arteta, Soucek, El Clasico

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“Football is decided on fine margins. Harry Kane goes through, gives the goalkeeper the eyes and hits the post. If that goes in it’s game over and they might even score another goal before the end of the game and we are all talking about how amazing Spurs are and what a result it is to win at Newcastle.

“But, in the end, they draw 2-2 and that’s it really, you look at Spurs and you worry about them. I worry because if you are calling the players out like that, I don’t think it’s going to work out.

“The players are going to go the other way, which they shouldn’t because it’s a bit of a joke, but that’s part of it nowadays.

“When they open the game up, they look OK, but it’s hard. We know what it says on the tin with Jose Mourinho. That’s the way they play.

“Is it because they are good defensively? I don’t think they are good defensively. When I look at Spurs, I just think they rely too much on Harry Kane.”

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Graham Potter is keen to keep hold of Danny Welbeck but says Brighton will wait until the summer to sort out the future of the in-form forward.

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Former England international Welbeck, whose contract expires in June, has contributed two goals and an assist in his last three Albion outings.

The 30-year-old missed a chunk of the campaign with a knee injury but his overall impact since arriving as a free agent in October has impressed Seagulls boss Potter.

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Asked if he was eager to extend Welbeck’s stay at the Amex Stadium, Potter replied: “Yeah. I think Danny has been really, really good for us.

“Frustrated to lose him in the middle part of the season but regardless of that he’s been fantastic around the group.

“He has the respect of everybody in the club and if you look at his goals when he’s been on the pitch, his return has been really positive.

“I think he’s a player we are of course going to sit down with at the end of the season and find the right solution for everybody.

“That’s how it is, I think that’s how we’ve always thought about this. But I have been really happy with Danny.”

Welbeck opened the scoring in last weekend’s 2-1 loss at former club Manchester United to follow up his strike in the 3-0 victory over Newcastle and assist in the 2-1 success at Southampton before the international break.

He is expected to make a fourth successive Premier League start when the Seagulls host Everton on Monday evening.

Albion, who sit six points clear of the relegation zone, could have a double defensive boost for the clash with Carlo Ancelotti’s Toffees, with Adam Webster and Dan Burn in contention to return from injury.

Webster has not featured for more than two months due to an ankle issue, while Burn has missed the past two matches with a tight hamstring.

The pair have returned to training and will be assessed, with Potter anxious to eradicate feeling “vulnerable” at the back due to a shortage of numbers.

“It’s nice to have Dan and Adam back. We’ll see how they respond, there are a few more training sessions and Adam’s been out a while, so we just need to see how he reacts to everything,” said Potter.

“For the last two or three matches we’ve been working with three fit defenders, so you are a little bit worried if you pick up an injury you’re a bit light and you are feeling a little vulnerable.

“It adds competition, it adds options, it adds different ways to approach matches and I think that’s what we need over the next eight games.”

Forgotten man Florin Andone, who suffered a serious knee injury on loan at Galatasaray last season, is also back training.

Potter says the Romania forward could feature before the end of the season.

“He is due to get some time on the pitch with the under-23s in the next day or so and then from there we just need to take the right steps to allow him to get up to match fitness,” said Potter.

“He’s been out for nigh on nine months now so it’s not so easy just to go straight into a Premier League game.

“But the focus is to get him up to speed, get him some match time, keep building himself up and who knows?”

Referee Felix Brych reportedly hit back at Jurgen Klopp after the Liverpool boss claimed his treatment of Sadio Mane was “unfair” in the his side’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds have left themselves plenty to do in the return leg at Anfield next week after a poor display on Tuesday night.

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FEATURE: Champions League winners and losers

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Klopp’s side were 2-0 down at half-time following goals from Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio, and despite Mohamed Salah halving the deficit just after the break, Vinicius soon struck again to give the Spanish giants a commanding lead ahead of the second leg clash on Wednesday.

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Klopp admitted his side didn’t deserve to win the game due to a sloppy performance Jamie Carragher described as the worst he’s seen in his six-year stewardship, but the German boss also claimed Brych was partly to blame for the result.

The Reds boss claimed the referee failed to spot what he thought was a clear foul on Mane in the build-up to Asensio’s goal and approached Brych to voice his displeasure after the game.

The pair remained in conversation as they headed towards the tunnel, with Klopp – as reported by the Liverpool Echo – saying that Brych had been “unfair” on his side.

But Brych pointed out Klopp’s hypocrisy, claiming: “What you’re doing now is unfair too.”

After the game, Klopp was critical of his team’s performance but couldn’t resist having a go at the referee.

He said: “The situation with Sadio, what the ref did tonight I have to say I don’t understand.

“For me that was something personal because he dealt with the situation with Sadio, which was a clear foul, like he was a diver or whatever.

“From that moment on whenever Sadio went down he didn’t get anything. That is not right. That is what I told him after the game, that I thought he was unfair with Sadio.

“That doesn’t change anything at all. He (Brych) didn’t lose the game. We were not good enough to get a better result, but in these moments you need just an ‘OK’ ref. That would have been enough.”

Bayern Munich have confirmed that they will not be extending Jerome Boateng’s contract when it expires at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old has won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal trophies and two Champions Leagues in his decade-long stint with the German giants.

But Bayern’s sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, revealed ahead of Bayern’s 3-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday that the club will not be offering him an extension.

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Speaking to Sky (via Bundesliga News) Salihamidzic said: “That was a joint decision of the club’s management and the coach was also involved in it.

“I explained it to Jerome, and he was very understanding.”

Boateng spent one season with Manchester City, making 16 Premier League appearances for the club before moving to the Bundesliga a year later.

With Bayern seven points clear at the top of the German top-flight, it looks set to be nine league medals for Boateng before he says his goodbyes.

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Both Arsenal and Chelsea are keen to add to their centre-back options, but Boateng’s reported wage demands – said to be £210,000-a-week at Bayern as it stands – could prove to be a stumbling block.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has moved to defend Arsenal’s transfer policy with the club coming under criticim.

“Well first of all I think you have to set some very clear principles that you want to achieve and the processes that are going to be in place to try to minimise the risk every time we get a player.

“Because it’s like a bet. There are a lot of things that we cannot control and a lot of things that we don’t know how they are going to act.

“But if we have the right processes, and we have the right principles to apply for every single player that walks in through our door to our club, then I think we are in a much better place to make a lot of good decisions.

“When I said to you about the squad balance, it is something that is related to recruitment. First of all the squad has to look in good balance, in good shape, in good health.

“And then you can talk about taking the squad into a different level, improving the recruitment, improving the quality of the squad in the individual and specific positions that we want.

“But as well, part of that recruitment – and it’s huge at this club – is our youth.

“And I am so proud as well with the work that is being done throughout the club, all the coaches at all the stages, to have the quality and the talent that we have at the club.

“So we have to create a space within our squad to give the opportunity to start to fit our first team as well with young players. And that is the key for our future.”

Marcelo Bielsa said it was a blow Jack Harrison is unavailable to face his parent club Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

City winger Harrison, in his third season on loan, has recaptured some of his top form in Leeds’ previous two matches.

“We would have hoped to have counted on him,” Bielsa said. “Especially as his last performances have been good, but we knew about the rule that impeded him from playing.

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“Like in all the positions we have more than one option and we are in condition to replace him.”

Harrison’s opening goal in last week’s home Yorkshire derby win against Sheffield United was his seventh Premier League goal of the season, while he has registered five assists.

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He currently sits above England pair Mason Mount and Phil Foden in the Premier League’s goals and assists chart.

Bielsa said he was otherwise pleased everyone in his first-team squad, barring Adam Forshaw (hip), was fit and available with eight games left to play this season.

“Yes, we are happy to have no injuries at this moment in time given three-quarters of the season has gone past. This is very good,” he said.

Leeds have won only once against a top-six side in the Premier League this season – at Leicester in January – and the Argentinian is hoping to improve on this record.

“It’s a reality,” he added. “It’s our objective to modify this.

“There’s a lot of teams in a similar position to us who have been able to beat the top six. That’s to say it’s possible and we haven’t managed to achieve it yet.”

Leeds produced one of their best displays of the season when holding City to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling encounter at Elland Road in October.

Record signing Rodrigo scored his first goal for Leeds to cancel out Raheem Sterling’s opener after Bielsa’s side had mounted a stirring second-half comeback.

Ezgjan Alioski started in Harrison’s absence in that game, but Bielsa gave little away as to his plans for Saturday.

“The wingers that make up our squad apart from Harrison – Helder Costa and Alioski – they will play this position in a different manner and they have different strengths to show what they can do,” Bielsa said.

“But we’re always looking for the same thing, that they attack, get in behind and they defend the necessary amount.”

Pep Guardiola’s City are 14 points clear at the top and need 11 points from their remaining seven games to be crowned champions for the third time in four years.

Leeds are unbeaten in their last three matches and sit 11th as they bid to end their first season back in the Premier League in 16 years in the top half of the table.

Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho has been “unfairly criticised” at times and he will just get better and better, according to Wilfred Ndidi.

Iheanacho joined Manchester City in 2014 and he made his debut during the 2015/16 season. He scored 21 times from 64 outings for them before leaving in 2017.

Leicester saw enough from him that tempted them to splash out £25m for the forward ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.

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Iheanacho has struggled during most of his time with the Foxes as he has played second fiddle to Jamie Vardy.

But the Nigerian forward has come into his own this season. He has six goals from his last five outings in all competitions.

The striker was named as the Premier League’s Player of the Month for March and he has been given a new contract.

Ndidi has told BBC Sport that Iheanacho’s talent was never in doubt:

“Kelechi’s talent was never in doubt, but as it is in life people love to criticise others when they are down.

“He was unfairly criticised and judged by different people. This is someone I have known from our youth days at the under-17s. I know his quality, so it’s not a fluke that he is producing his best football again.

“I am very happy for him because he’s doing wonderfully well now and everyone can see.

“It’s just sad that when he needed encouragement in the past few years many were quick to write him off. But thankfully some of these people have now turned around to praise him. That’s life.

“He’s a happy guy and Kelechi is only now enjoying a deserving reward for his tireless hard work.

“When you get a rhythm of games and the support of your coach, teammates and fans it can only get better.

“This latest chapter is going to give him the belief and confidence that he is a really important player for his club and country.

“I know and hope that he will continue to deliver for us. I never doubted him and I know he will bring more goals and performance that will continue to elevate him.”

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England will prepare for their shot at European Championship glory in Middlesbrough.

With Wembley handed over to UEFA at the start of June ahead of the tournament, Gareth Southgate’s men are heading on the road in the build-up to Euro 2020.

England will play their group matches in the capital and be based at St George’s Park for the tournament, but the preparation camp and warm-up friendlies will be held in Middlesbrough.

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Southgate skippered Boro to Carling Cup glory in 2004 – the club’s first-ever major trophy – and the UEFA Cup final two years later, before spending a three-year stint as manager there up until 2009.

The England boss will return to his old stomping ground this summer, with the Riverside Stadium hosting the Euro warm-up fixtures against Austria on June 2 and Romania on June 6.

The Teesside double-header could also see the Three Lions host fans for the first time since the 7-0 Euros qualification win against Montenegro at Wembley in November 2019.

“Should it be deemed safe for fans to attend these forthcoming fixtures then any ticketing arrangements will be communicated via The FA and not Middlesbrough FC,” the Football Association said.

“The FA will continue to liaise with relevant authorities and explore the possibility of supporters being in attendance.”

England have played in Manchester, Sunderland, Leeds, Leicester and Southampton since 2016.

The Riverside Stadium, which was opened in 1995, has only once previously hosted the men’s senior team, when Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side beat Slovakia 2-1 in a Euro 2004 qualifier in June 2003.

England Women lost 2-1 to Brazil at the stadium in October 2019, while the men’s Under-21 side have played there eight times.

 

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UEFA will allow host cities to upscale plans for supporters to attend Euro 2020 matches should conditions around the coronavirus pandemic improve, the PA news agency understands.

The European governing body has asked for the 12 host cities – including Glasgow, Dublin and London – for their proposals on how many fans they expect to be able to accommodate by Wednesday.

The UK Government has announced plans for a number of test events – including a 21,000 crowd for the FA Cup final on May 15 – with a view to having Wembley full for at least some European Championship games.

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Wembley will see England open their Group D campaign against Croatia on June 13, before then welcoming Scotland on June 18 followed by the Czech Republic.

The national stadium is also set to host one last-16 game as well as both the semi-finals and then final on July 11.

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On Tuesday, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was optimistic there would be a “reasonably good number” of supporters at Hampden for matches against the Czechs on June 14 and then Croatia eight days later.

Dublin, meanwhile, has three Group E games, involving Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, as well one of the ties in the knock-out stage.

The deadline for submissions is April 7.

There is some uncertainty, though, as to whether the Aviva Stadium will be in a position to welcome supporters due to travel restrictions and limits on mass gatherings.

 

An Irish Government spokesman said assurances on minimum spectator levels could not be currently provided given the state of the pandemic.

The Italian Football Federation, however, said it had been told by the government that Rome’s Stadio Olimpico would be able to welcome spectators for Euro 2020.

Following the submissions, a meeting will be held on Thursday of the EURO Steering Group, which consists of the 12 national associations and UEFA.

PA understands once hosts have submitted the scenarios, they will be allowed to come back to UEFA before April 28 with an increased view on how many supporters they could accommodate.

The governing body is understood not to be pushing the deadline back as such, but rather allowing venues to upscale if conditions around the coronavirus pandemic get better in the coming weeks.

 

Send more of your thoughts to [email protected]…

 

On the right track…
United weren’t great yesterday, plenty to work on. All those slow starts have certainly cost them in the cups and a chance to be more competitive in the league.

But how Plato reflected on the weekend’s football and concluded United, who (checks notes) won, are the shocking football side and Chelsea who (checks notes)… oh my, are on the right  track after a folly… its frankly beyond my comprehension.

The 365 article put it well. All those slow starts and comebacks definitely have two sides to them. It’s a serious flaw for sure, but at the same time, it’s pretty impressive.

There is an awful lot good about United but also an awful lot that’s bad. Solskjaer has done a good job of gradually fixing the bad and they’re in a decent, not world beating place. It’s really not the end of the world though Plato!

For my money, I would stick with Solskjaer, only extend his deal a year at a time and wait until the next truly great manager emerges to take over a well run, if not yet, spectacular club, rather than the Mourinho Home for nearly-retired, formerly good, footballers we were building with the last guy. And by great manager, I’m talking a Guardiola… not Thomas (2-5 v West Brom) Tuchel, or anyone who has “managed Juventus to the Serie A title” as their only CV credit – if you managed Juventus, of course you won Serie A*…
Andy (MUFC)

*to be clear, you can be a good manager who happened to win Serie A with Juventus, but the winning with Juventus is not, in itself, evidence of that manager’s quality…

 

The future is bright but not for Spurs
It’s only the first week of April and while we may have a mathematical chance to get a top 4 finish – I highly doubt it when we struggle to beat teams like Newcastle – I’ve started to think about next season and…it doesn’t look good.

Spurs needs to refresh the squad and upgrade a lot of their 1st team players.

Out
Mourinho followed by Hart, Aurier, Sanches, Dier, Alli, Bergwijn, Sissoko, Winks.

In
Lloris, Doherty, Reguilon, Davis, Alderweireld, Rodon, Tangana, Lamela, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Moura, Kane, Son

We need a good back GK who will take over from Lloris within the next 6-12 months. Nick Pope would be a great buy.
RB and LB need replacing with players who will push Doherty, Reguilon (if he stays), and Davis – I think Ben Davis is a great squad player and always give a 7/10.
If we get Milan Škriniar, I believe our CB of Škriniar, Alderweireld, Rodon, Tangana will have a good balance of experience, youth, and speed. Toby has another year, maybe two left in him, and would teach the young ones a lot by playing alongside them.

Midfield is where the most change is to take place. Højbjerg needs a backup to give him a rest, especially for the early rounds of the cups and ‘easy’ PL matches. Lo Celso has a history of injuries so we need someone to be his replacement when he is on the treatment table. The same applies to Lamela.

Kane, Son, and Moura also need backs. In the case of Moura, an upgrade would be nice.

By my count, we need to get 10 players to have a realistic chance for a top 4 finish. While 10 is unrealistic, spurs should target 4-6 to replace Hart, Aurier, Sanches, Dier, Alli, and Sissoko.

Now the most important bit of business is for Levy is to let go of his fantasy and replace Jose. Julian Nagelsmann’s name has been touted as a possible replacement but will he come if we aren’t in Europe? In fact, will any good manager come if we aren’t in Europe? Unless we secure Europe, I see Spurs going the way of Arsenal and becoming a mid-table team. Son and Kane won’t stay more than a year if we don’t a good manager or play in the CL. No strikers, no defense, no midfield, no goalie! Yup, it’s the 00s all over again!
Tarun Denniz (Spurs since ’90)

 

 

Misery derby
Well the misery derby lived up to its billing didn’t it?!

Quick recap:
– Joelinton missed
– Joelinton scored (assist, Colombian Titus Bramble)
– Kane
– Kane
– (JM: Definitely don’t go out there and hope to cling on lads)
– Arsenal loanee
– Bring on Bale after it’s too late
– (JM: lie about why Toby Alderweireld was not picked. Blame the players for not holding onto leads).

It takes a special one to make watching this group of players so miserable. The excitement of Son, Kane and Bale at the start of the season has gone. It now looks like we are playing a weird 442 (hard to tell to be honest), which seems to be driven by selecting from those that haven’t too obviously given up on him.

For the love of god, why did they move the league cup final back? 🙁
Dave (Rodon looks promising), Winchester Spurs

 

Newcastle United conundrum
Dear Editor

As Newcastle United continues to be embroiled in yet another relegation battle, an appraisal of the club’s current predicament is only appropriate at this interval.
Steve Bruce is trying his best in a desperate situation, exacerbated by the continued failure by owner Mike Ashley to secure a long-overdue takeover.

I recently read the excellent autobiography of Kevin Keegan (well worth a read), and Kevin’s refusal to even attend games at St.James’s Park(before the current restrictions on fans I must interject with), sums up this entire story.

Newcastle United has not won a single trophy of any description since 1969. (First Division Championships are classed as a trophy I know but the club cannot defend it and would rather be in the Premier League in the first instance. I won’t even mention the much-maligned Inter Toto Cup).

This is simply unacceptable for a one-city club, backed by fantastically fanatical supporters. such as Ant and Dec, Tim Healy, etc. Newcastle United has, to use the immortal proverb, always been the bridesmaids and never the brides. In 1974 they lost in the FA Cup Final 3 0 to my beloved Liverpool Football Club(ironically Kevin Keegan scored in this match)

Roll on to 1996, Newcastle United famously surrendered the Premier League’s biggest ever lead, twelve points to eventual champions Manchester United “I would love it if we beat them”, the twenty-fifth anniversary of Liverpool’s amazing 4 3 win over Newcastle United at Anfield was celebrated (in my own case I celebrate this anniversary every year) on Saturday last.

Successive FA Cup final defeats to Arsenal in 1998 and the aforementioned Manchester United in 1999 swiftly followed. Managerial changes galore, the failed second coming of ‘King Kev’, two relegations from the Premier League, and here we are in 2021. A takeover simply has to happen to restore this once proud club to former glories.

Given the significant historical links between Newcastle United and my own beloved Liverpool Football Club,(John Barnes, Terry Mc Dermott, Rafael Benitez, Kevin Keegan, Peter Beardsley, Jose Enrique, Dietmar Hamann, Andy Carroll, Jon Jo Shelvey, Gini Wijnaldum, Ian Rush) to name a few legends closely associated with both clubs.

I genuinely and sincerely hope this is accomplished sooner rather than later so as Newcastle United can try to return to former glories.

Kind Regards
Optimistic Liverpool Football Club Supporter

 

 

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The best over 30s signings…
Steve from Toronto dropped a great point about players signed at an older age, mainly over 30 who then transformed a team, he suggest Danny Ings could do similar for City like Milito at Inter, well I thought I would also bring up a few other older players who did exactly that, moved clubs and transformed their side in one way or another:

Andrea Pirlo – Milan to Juventus, Pirlo cost Juventus nothing in 2011, a 32 year old veteran who Milan let go because they felt his time had come, Andrea Pirlo went on to be a key part of the dominant Juve side that won 4 back to back titles and reached the Champions League final.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Milan to PSG, just makes the cut as he was 30 at the time, but his impact in Paris started the dominance that was about the happen in the capital of France for this PSG side, he won on average 3 trophies a season at PSG which is incredible.

Claude Makelele – Real Madrid to Chelsea, Freshly bought by Roman, in came Claude Makelele, he defined one of the record breaking teams of the Premier League era, arguably the best defence in English football, his position became forever known as “The Makelele Role”, for £16m it was worth every single penny.

Gabriel Batistuta – Fiorentina to Roma, when i think back to Batistuta he is wearing that iconic purple kit with the Nintendo logo upon it, but his move to Rome was one of the key reasons that he has a Serie A title on his honours list, top scorer for that season as Roma lifted the title ahead of Juventus.

Quick response to Minty, LFC who mentioned about “Strikers literally have one job” then chose to mention Roberto Firmino who literally adds so much to the Liverpool side that won the title and UCL without scoring many, I personally see any player’s job as to contribute to the team, be it in one way or another, many a striker contributed in other ways to their side without scoring, Firmino, Giroud, Zola and Bergkamp come to mind, I do understand where Minty is coming from but I suppose we just have different views on the topic, which is fine, he is one of the common contributors to the Mailbox like myself and I do respect his views.
Mikey, CFC (Will Ings fire City to the Champions League? Who knows)

 

Arteta Ole Lampard
Liam, wait ’til the end of the season. One of them might end up with an impressive trophy haul.
Simon, Norf London Gooner 

 

Nearly
Raheem Sterling and his basic little tap ons would have sent us to a World Cup Final if Harry Kane passed the fucking ball.
Dale