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Some Liverpool fans have been defending Raheem Sterling for his efforts against the Reds on Sunday, after a selection of the Manchester City winger’s stats were shared online that painted a negative view of his performance.

Sterling did not manage to record any shots on target or create any key passes on his latest return to Anfield, in what was the England international’s 12th appearance against Liverpool following his £49million transfer in 2015.

A selection of Reds supporters felt Sterling managed to cause Jurgen Klopp’s side problems throughout the contest, though, as he put on a display worthy of being described as the best individual performance by a Man City player.

While he could not direct any of his efforts on target, Sterling did register the joint-most shots by a Citizens player on Sunday, as he and Kyle Walker both recorded four efforts on Alisson Becker’s goal.

Sterling also won two aerial duels, completed a game-high eight dribbles and was successful with 81.6% of his 38 passes, according to data collected by WhoScored.

Of the 55-cap Three Lions attacker’s 38 passes, two were crosses into the box, although neither managed to connect with a teammate. Sterling did win 11 of his 18 ground duels, though, and lost possession on fewer occasions than Kevin de Bruyne and Sadio Mane, per Sofa Score figures.

Here are some of the messages shared from Liverpool fans defending Sterling for his efforts against the Anfield outfit even if not all the stats showed how influential he truly was…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It’s fair to say that one of Leeds United’s best players is Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard has won the club’s Player of the Year award for the past two seasons, and it’s no coincidence that Leeds’ frontline have struggled for goals while he’s been out with injury this term.

Aged 34, the midfielder is unfortunately in the twilight of his career, and despite the Whites signing a £15m man in his position last summer they may still have to look for a replacement in the near future.

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Replacement needs lining up

With Hernandez well into his 30s and his contract expiring at the end of the season, Leeds certainly need a strategy for when their talisman hangs up his boots.

The former Spain international provides an element of class that no other player in the team really has, and it’ll be hard to replace that, but it’s certainly a necessary move that United need to make.

Marcelo Bielsa does have another player he can call upon in that position, but he’s certainly not a like for like replacement for the ex-Swansea City man.

Costa not the man

Unfortunately for the Yorkshire outfit, Helder Costa isn’t the man to fill the Spaniard’s boots.

The Portuguese winger isn’t the creative force that Hernandez is, and when he eventually calls it a day on his career the 25-year-old won’t be able to provide the creativity that his senior teammate provides.

Indeed, the 34-year-old’s strengths lie in his ability to unlock a defence and the 2.4 key passes he completes per game are vital to Leeds’ attacks, but that element is lost when Costa is playing in his absence as he makes just 0.5 key passes per match – that’s despite now starting on a regular basis.

To add another worrying factor, Bielsa has stated in the past that the £10.8m-rated Wolves loanee is struggling to replicate his fellow winger, suggesting he doesn’t drift off the wing to provide support in a central area.

When Hernandez goes, Leeds will either have to adapt their style to be more suited to a player of Costa’s ilk or find another man who can bring what the midfielder provides.

Having scored just 16 times in their opening 12 Premier League games this season, it has been little surprise to see Manchester United reportedly target a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Red Devils have been criticised by former legends like Paul Scholes for making a “mistake” in letting Romelu Lukaku go in the summer, and it appears they are intent on addressing that issue as soon as they can.

In the latest report from ESPN, it is suggested United are keen on taking AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko to Old Trafford, and that his previous experience in the Premier League with Manchester City is a particularly attractive proposition.

It further adds the Bosnian has moved ahead of Mario Mandzukic in the short-list of striker options, and that Ed Woodward is ready to “sanction the signing of a seasoned forward”.

After hearing their links to the 33-year-old, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their rumoured target.

Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted that he would be a poor signing for the club, and that he would be a significant step down from some of the other names that have recently been linked like Erling Braut Haaland for example.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Loads of Manchester United fans have been raving over an iconic goal from club legend Paul Scholes, as Wednesday marked 20 years since his sensational screamer against Bradford City in the Premier League. 

Scholes created some truly memorable moments throughout his 19-year-spell with the Red Devils. The centre-midfielder is well known for playing the ball off the ground and this incredible long-range volley is arguably one of the best goals he ever scored.

The club’s official Twitter account posted footage of the Englishman’s legendary goal, a stunning effort that put the game well beyond the Bantams as the match ended 4-0. Taking a drilled corner from David Beckham, Scholes struck the football perfectly, smashing the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

Scholes bagged 107 goals and produced 55 assists in 499 appearances in the English top flight, winning a staggering 321 games (Premier League). His market value reached its highest rating at £22.5m in 2004 via Transfermarkt.

It seems like many supporters will never forget his performances in a United jersey, with one fan dubbing the 45-year-old the “greatest midfielder ever.”

Take a look at some of the best reactions online…

United fans, do you think Paul Scholes is the greatest midfielder in Premier League history? Join in the discussion in the comments section below!

Lots of Newcastle United fans have given their verdict on ex-player Ayoze Perez after an article from the Leicester Mercury was relayed by NUFC 360 on Twitter.

In the report, Leicester City supporters were asked to rate the Spaniard’s debut season at the club out of 10, with numbers ranging from four to seven. The article also claims that the position of Perez in the starting eleven is the most under scrutiny, coming under pressure from the likes of Marc Albrighton and Demarai Gray.

The 26-year old joined the Foxes in last summer’s transfer window for a reported £30 million, a signing that Brendan Rodgers seemed to be very pleased with at the time, as per the BBC.

Perez has scored seven goals and provided a further five assists in 31 total appearances in all competitions this season, according to Transfermarkt. The forward has been critical of his own performances, claiming that ‘the best is yet to come’, as per Leicester Mercury.

Perez had a slightly better goal scoring ratio for the Toon Army, scoring 48 goals in 195 games whilst also making 17 assists (via Transfermarkt).

These Magpies gave their verdict on their former man, with one fan claiming that Rafa Benitez ‘got the best out of’ him:

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Former Leeds United and Coventry City forward Noel Whelan has said that West Ham United should look to sell Felipe Anderson this summer, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

The Hammers signed Anderson from Lazio in the summer of 2018 for £36m and made a good impression in his first season, scoring nine goals and proving four assists in 36 Premier League appearances.

However, he has been restricted to just 19 league starts this term, managing just one goal and four assists in the process.

New West Ham boss David Moyes has left him on the bench for the club’s last three fixtures and Whelan said that Anderson often leaves his side playing with 10 men when he is not on form.

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“Felipe Anderson is a great player,” he told Football Insider.

“On his day he is a game-winner but you have to trust players. You have to be able to trust a player throughout the course of a season. You cannot be carrying flair players.

“They have to do the other side of the games as well – it is required. If you cannot do that you are playing with ten men at times.

“He is alright when he is on the ball but it is whether you can do the work off the ball. It looks to me like David Moyes does not think he can do that.

“We know what he can do on the ball and there is brilliance in that kid but can he track back and defend? If you cannot do it there is a default in a player that needs to be worked on or sold.”

Many will remember Xabi Alonso tearing it up for Real Madrid and Spain, but it was with Liverpool where he first made himself known to a wider audience.

The Reds signed the midfielder in 2004 for £10.5m. From that point, he would go on to make 210 appearances in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, racking up 18 goals and nine assists during that time. Not only that, he started the match against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, scoring as the Merseyside club won on penalties.

Now retired from football, there has been a report linking him to Manchester City, with him being touted to replace Mikel Arteta as part of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff. This news has been shared on the Empire of the Kop Twitter page, and it is fair to say it has not gone down too well with Liverpool supporters.

They have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.

Let us know what you think!

One of the big decisions that Newcastle’s prospective new owners will have to make, is what to do with current manager Steve Bruce.

The 59-year-old took over from Rafa Benitez on a permanent basis last summer, and has led them to a respectable 13th place in the Premier League, just six points behind eight-placed Tottenham.

But with a takeover, talks of more high-profile managers have started to dominate the discussions, and according to Italian journalist, Nicolo Schira, the Magpies have set their sights on the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Massimiliano Allegri to lead the new era.

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Whilst Pochettino certainly makes sense in terms of rebuilding this side, going after Allegri would quite simply be an insult to former Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez.

The latter became known during his time at St James’ Park for digging out results, and not being afraid to put men behind the ball and concede possession for the vast majority of the game.

He became a real fans favourite on Tyneside, and whilst his defensive approach may not be everyone’s cup of tea, he got the team performing to its absolute maximum – a 2-1 home win over Manchester City back in January 2019 when the Magpies had just 24% of the possession was the epitome of that.

So if Newcastle are to contemplate going after a manager who is defensively sound, then Benitez should be the man, not Allegri.

The Italian is also well-renowned for being someone who puts keeping a clean sheet first, but quite simply wouldn’t arrive at St James’ Park with quite the same fanfare as Benitez.

And unlike the Spaniard, Allegri has had his struggles in European competitions, failing to win the Champions League title in his reign as Juventus manager, despite walking through Serie A. Benitez of course won European football’s showpiece trophy back with Liverpool, and also helped Chelsea lift the Europa League too.

So if the Magpies’ new owners want to appoint a manager who has European pedigree and has a keen eye for remaining defensively solid, then they should be looking at Benitez instead of Allegri.

His previous connection with the club means the Spaniard would already have a large share of goodwill with the supporters, and they will give him all the time to world to succeed, something that may not happen with an outsider like Allegri.

Appointing Allegri could be the Saudi consortium’s first major mistake at the club.

According to an Argentina-based journalist, Leeds are set to sign Tottenham defender Juan Foyth on loan for next season.

What’s the word?

Despite the Whites’ promotion bid still yet to be confirmed given that the Championship is now set to resume very soon, it appears Marcelo Bielsa’s side are already drawing up plans to strengthen their squad for the following campaign.

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And as per Nicolas Bozza, Spurs centre-back Foyth is going to be heading on loan to Elland Road next season to play under fellow Argentine, Bielsa.

Defensive boost

Whilst Leeds currently have the best defensive record in the division with just 30 goals conceded in their 37 Championship games, the potential step-up to the Premier League will of course present a far biggest test of their credentials.

And whilst Foyth has had his fair share of struggles at Spurs – he conceded two penalties on his debut – he has earned some reviews from the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

Upon his arrival in north London, Pochettino declared that the Lilywhites had bought someone with massive potential, and that he is “very aggressive and strong”. And then, even after Spurs’ defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, current boss Mourinho insisted that one of the positive examples he had learned a lot about, was Foyth.

So clearly those who have managed him think highly of him, and the Argentine’s Premier League experience seems like a good fit for a side coming up from the division below. If Victor Orta can complete a loan deal for the 6 foot 2 man, then their chances of survival next season in the top-flight will take a boost.

Despite his Manchester City leanings, Micah Richards sympathised with Ben Mee after the Burnley defender had a penalty given against him in the Clarets’ 5-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium last night.

With Sean Dyche’s men trailing 2-0 coming up to half-time, the 30-year-old challenged Sergio Aguero in the penalty area and initially seemed to have won the ball, with referee Andre Marriner unmoved and no appeals from any Manchester City players for a spot kick.

However, with Aguero prone on the turf and ultimately being forced off, the incident was reviewed by VAR and Marriner eventually overturned his initial decision, giving Riyad Mahrez the chance to convert from the spot and extend the home side’s lead (as per Sky Sports).

Richards, a Manchester City defender for nearly 10 years, was on Sky Sports punditry duty for the game and he felt that the penalty award was harsh on Mee. He said on air [via Lancashire Live]: “To be totally honest, to me, it looks like he has got the ball and to have that overturned is just crazy. If you are a defender and you are doing that, you would be giving penalties every single week for that.”

As an experienced defender, Richards is well placed to judge whether or not Mee had committed a foul, so for him to say that he thought the penalty was wrongly given is striking. Also, as noted by Graeme Souness on Sky Sports [via Lancashire Live], none of Aguero’s team-mates were baying for a penalty when the tackle was made.

Even when slowed down and viewed on replay, it seems a tight call and perhaps Mee was hard done by as he seemed to get something on the ball, even if his follow-up certainly caught the Manchester City striker.

With Guardiola’s team already two goals to the good and going on to win by five, the penalty award wasn’t exactly a game-changing moment, although the psychological blow of conceding a third goal just before the interval must have flattened a Burnley team who, had they gone in at 2-0 down, may still have felt they had a fighting chance if they could start the second half quickly.

On a very difficult night for Burnley, they could have done without a 50-50 penalty decision going against them.

Burnley fans, do you agree with Richards’ assessment of the penalty incident? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!