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Since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield in October 2015, the Liverpool manager has transformed the club’s squad. The arrivals of the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, along with the emergence of Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, have made the Reds solid at the back.

On top of that, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have both arrived to help make the Merseyside club’s attacking force one of the most feared in Europe. So far in the German coach’s tenure Liverpool have reached a Champions League final and are currently in the thick of a Premier League title race.

However, if Klopp is to continue taking the club forward, there are improvements to his squad that must be made this summer. At the top of the list of issues to address should be the lack of quality squad depth. The club’s attacking contingent, for instance – outside of the main three of Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino – leaves plenty to be desired.

Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Daniel Sturridge is an experience centre-forward, but he can no longer offer the club what they need, even as a back up option. This season at Anfield has to be his last. 

Why he has to go

The 29-year-old’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this season. Last summer, the 26-cap England international striker spoke of his desire to earn a new deal with the Reds, as reported by the Telegraph. However, to offer him any new terms would be a mistake on the part of the club.

Sturridge is too injury prone to be reliably available and simply hasn’t got the quality to compete at the level that Liverpool are now operating at. The greatest difference between Liverpool and their current rivals for the title, Manchester City, is quality squad depth.

Whereas Pep Guardiola has either Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus to call on to lead the line, Klopp has Firmino or Sturridge or Divock Origi. Beyond Firmino, both are underwhelming options. Alternatively, he can play Salah out of position through the middle, but that only creates another gap elsewhere. 

If Liverpool are to sustain this period of success at the club, they must have greater reserves of talent to call upon in their squad. That can begin this summer with the exit of Sturridge, and the signing of an upgrade on him.

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Mark Lawrenson has told BBC Sport that he believes that the reason Everton have struggled so much in recent months is down to the last-gasp 1-0 defeat they suffered in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool in December, ahead of the reverse fixture at Goodison Park on Sunday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Toffees went into the clash against Jurgen Klopp’s men last year in sixth position, eight points adrift from the top four and above Manchester United on goal difference.

They were high in confidence and would have fancied their chances of taking something at Anfield, and they almost did before Jordan Pickford’s mistake led to Divock Origi’s 96th-minute winner.

Since then, Marco Silva’s men have only taken 14 points from their 14 Premier League fixtures – including three in the 3-0 win against Cardiff City during the week – and lie in ninth position, 20 points from the Champions League qualification spots and significantly closer to the relegation zone than they are to sixth-placed Chelsea.

Lawrenson feels the lost against their local neighbours had a big part to play, telling BBC Sport: “I was at Anfield when Liverpool beat Everton in November as Jordan Pickford’s injury-time error let in Divock Origi for the winner.

“Everton had played really well, from front to back. They created some really good chances but lost because of a piece of bad luck, and there is an argument that result has seriously affected their season.”

Is he right?

The evidence is pretty damning, and Everton certainly haven’t been the same since that moment.

Considering the money they have spent and some of the players they have at their disposal, the fact that they have lost eight of their previous 12 top-flight fixtures is unacceptable, and it is fortunate that they started the campaign well otherwise they would be in big trouble right now.

Home advantage and the motivation to cost Liverpool in the title race means the Sunday clash will be intriguing though, with Lawrenson tipping the hosts to take a point.

Jurgen Klopp, despite all of his side’s success this season in keeping themselves in the Premier League title race, has had a real dilemma with his midfield trio. The Reds go with a 4-3-3 system but have lacked a midfielder with the creative nouse to provide their front three with ammunition, and as Naby Keita continues to flop, the answer could be Marko Grujic.

The Serbian midfielder is midway through a season-long loan with Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin and is thriving at the Olympiastadion. Whilst his parent club have experimented with Keita, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri as their creative outlet in the midfield trio, the obvious option is Grujic, and Klopp should refrain some forking out another £50 million like he did on Keita until testing the water with the Serbian.

Hertha Berlin are obviously appreciative of their Liverpool loanee given the above tweet, and if the Reds want to keep him at the club and test him then they’ll need to give him a chance to shine. It looks like the Bundesliga club would snap him up in a heartbeat if given the chance, and at the age of 22-years-old, the young ex-Red Star Belgrade creator could have an impressive career in Germany.

The perfect balance in Klopp’s midfield three will come when they can mix a workhorse box-to-box player with a creator and a defensive midfield destroyer. Wijnaldum has the box-to-box role nailed on with his unrelenting engine and ability to help out at both ends of the pitch whilst Fabinho is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League, leaving just the creative void to fill.

Most fans have pinpointed the sale of Philippe Coutinho as when this issue appeared, and that would make sense given his ability to make things tick. However, the answer now that the Brazilian is gone may not have to involve throwing millions at a shiny new foreign player, but promoting their loanee and talented Serbian to a role in the squad that he obviously has the talent to fill. It’s a prove move for Klopp to try, but if it works out it would save the Reds millions.

Liverpool fans, would you like to see Marko Grujic handed a Liverpool lifeline? Join the discussion by commenting below…Â

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Aston Villa supporters have taken to Twitter to suggest their club sign Joe Lolley from Nottingham Forest.

Dean Smith’s men secured victory over Forest at the City Ground last night with Lolley claiming the assist for the goal they conceded. It sparked mass debate from the Villa Park faithful with some now pleading that he arrives during the off-season.

The winger has impressed both times Forest have played Villa this season, picking up five assists across two matches which included supplying four goals in the 5-5 draw the two teams played out when they met in November. It’s something which has clearly played a key part in the Villans’ fans hunger to see him join the club.

It’s not often supporters sing the praises of opposition players but the 26-year-old appears to be an exception, being labelled as fantastic and tidy following the clash this week.

They’ve also been quick to point out the fact that the former Huddersfield man is, in fact, a Villa fan himself meaning he’d likely be willing to join the club if the opportunity presented itself.

Fans are finding plenty of pros for the Redditch-born midfielder and are yearning for his potential signing, whether that be as a replacement for Jack Grealish should he leave, or as someone who can play alongside him.

Lolley has racked up impressive numbers this season, scoring eight and assisting nine in the Championship.

Here’s what’s been said.

Aston Villa fans have been living in dreamland in recent times as Dean Smith continues to get the very best out of his side, with a play-off spot now well within their sights.

It’s safe to say that Smith’s January transfer window signings have had a huge influence on how things have panned out during the second half of the season as the likes of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause have worked wonders.

Hause has been simply sensational in recent games as he continues to enjoy a rich vein of form and he even managed to find the back of the net against Nottingham Forest. The Villans have conceded just once in the three matches that the Englishman has started in, which just goes to show much of an influence he’s had.

But, securing a summer deal for the central defender may be difficult as his parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers will be well aware of his performances at Villa Park, so they could look to include him in their plans next season.

Villa simply must make him their top summer target as he’s helped cure their central defensive woes and has already built a formidable partnership with Mings. Indeed, many supporters feared the worst when James Chester suffered an injury but Hause has made fans forget all about the Welshman as he’s made the position his own.

The 23-year-old is clearly enjoying life at Villa Park and he’s already found a place in the hearts of many supporters, so he may be open to a permanent move in the summer transfer window.

Aston Villa fans, would you like to see Kortney Hause at Villa Park permanently? Surely he’s done enough to warrant a permanent move…

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West Bromwich Albion caretaker manager Jimmy Shan provided an injury update ahead of the trip to Brentford on Saturday via wba.co.uk, and he has refused to rule out a return for Matt Phillips.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 28-year-old sat out the 3-0 win against Swansea City at The Hawthorns on Wednesday with an ankle issue – one that saw him taken off in the 63rd minute of Darren Moore’s final match in charge last weekend.

The Baggies will know that they need three points against the Bees to have any chance of maintaining their automatic promotion hopes as the games start to run out, and Shan discussed whether a number of players – including the Scotland international – could feature at Griffin Park.

The 40-year-old told wba.co.uk: “Both of them (Dawson and Holgate) will be fine and available.

“Craig was much better yesterday (Thursday). They’ll both be reviewed again today, but I’m imagining after reports from my medical team, they’ll be okay.

“Matty still has some ankle soreness. Again, I’ll have a further update on him.

“Tosin, with his hamstring, won’t be available.”

Phillips can play key role

While Shan has said that Dawson and Hegazi should be fit and Adarabioyo won’t be, he has been far less committal on the 28-year-old.

He may not have been at his best at times this season, but five goals and six assists in 25 league appearances show what the former Blackpool man is capable of on his day, and he has the ability and the pace to be important against Brentford.

West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…

The visitors’ game-plan may well be to play on the counter-attack against a team they will be expecting to attack them, and having Phillips in the XI would be hugely useful in that regard.

Should he start he could fill in on the right-hand side for Jacob Murphy, who put in another disappointing display against the Swans.

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In his column for The Stoke Sentinel, Manchester United legend Lou Macari has backed current Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce to deliver promotion at Hillsborough.

What did he say, then?

Following a dismal spell of form under previous boss Jos Luhukay which culminated in his sacking in December, Bruce came to the helm in Yorkshire.

He himself had been relieved of his duties at Villa Park and the appointment was not met with the utmost optimism by supporters, but a 10-game unbeaten run to kick-off his reign later and Wednesday are 10th in the Sky Bet Championship, just two points off the play-off spots.

According to The Stoke Sentinel, here’s what Macari had to say on Bruce and promotion ahead of the Owls’ key clash with his beloved Stoke City:

“Sheffield Wednesday have won five and drawn five of their last 10 games after a poor run which had seen them sack their manager.

“And it’s obviously no coincidence that this 10-match unbeaten run has come in the first 10 games under new boss Steve Bruce.

“There’s something about Brucie and the Championship and you wouldn’t rule out his chances of winning a fourth promotion to the Premier League after previously doing it with Birmingham (twice) and Hull.”

Absolutely spot on, Lou

Bruce is a manager who knows promotion like the back of his hand and his record of getting out of the Championship with different clubs as has been aforementioned by Macari.

You can already see the way that the veteran gaffer has changed the mentality at the club in the mere couple of months that he has been there so far.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Wednesday have gone from looking over their shoulders at possible relegation to looking up at a decent chance of promotion via the play-offs.

There’s nothing Bruce would love more than getting a team in the city where it all began for him as a manager back to where they belong in the Premier League and if it doesn’t happen this season, you wouldn’t bet against it in 2019/2020.

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Leicester have essentially told clubs chasing Ben Chilwell to abandon their hopes this summer, according to The Daily Star. Losing him would undoubtedly be a big blow to the Foxes.

What’s the word?

Chilwell is one of the most promising full-backs in the Premier League but amid interest from Manchester United and Liverpool, Leicester have issued a hands-off warning to any club considering pursuing an interest.

The English international has been sought after for a while with Manchester City registering interest in the player back in January, according to ESPN.

However, as per The Daily Star, Foxes officials have told Brendan Rodgers that their days of selling their top players are over.

The 22-year-old’s value is nearing the £40m region, which is no surprise given his performances in the top flight and the fact that he is an England international.

Change in system for Leicester?

The next step after retaining Chilwell’s services should be a new primary formation for Leicester, one which sees the England international’s impressive attacking attributes come to the fore.

Rodgers should opt to move to three at the back with two rising stars in Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu operating alongside Harry Maguire.

Benkovic and Soyuncu boast considerable potential and they could form part of a solid defensive unit which really ignites the club’s new era under the Northern Irishman. Maguire’s experience of playing among a three-man defence for England would also benefit this system.

What this would mean further up the field is pushing Ricardo Pereira and Chilwell into advanced wing-back roles on either flank. The former has featured further forward already this season and done it to an impressive degree so the pair of them should be able to do a significant amount of damage in the final third.

Both have the ability to deliver the ball into the penalty area and by using them in this way it would give Rodgers an interesting new dimension. This formation would ensure Chilwell flourishes and help develop some of the club’s other rising stars.

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The biggest day of the year is almost here for horse-racing enthusiasts nationwide. No day in the horse-racing calendar attracts the level of hype which Aintree’s Grand National ritually evokes every year, and the 2019 instalment is absolutely no exception to the rule.

Punters will be studying the form guides and the history books ahead of the race, clinging on to every piece of vital information which could help them choose the winner.

However, the Racing Post have created a unique generator to help football fans make their selection.

It’s very simple. You select which football team you support, the celebrity who you would most like to see in charge of your club, and the player you consider the greatest of all time or, to the average social media user, the GOAT.

The generator then throws up your selection for you and details the expected odds.

For example, if you’re a Leicester City fan who wants Donald Trump to manage the club and considers Zinedine Zidane to be the greatest of all time, Folsom Blue at 66/1 is the horse for you.

You can find access to the generator here.

Best of luck!

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As reported by Chronicle Live, Dave Kitson has revealed Newcastle United will be sold before the season ends for between £300million-£400million, and Toon fans have understandably taken to Twitter to discuss the latest in a long list of potential takeovers.

The most recent of which was supposed to be by Peter Kenyon but of course, the deal never quite materialised.

Previously there was the Amanda Staveley saga – Mike Ashley and Staveley even met in a restaurant to discuss the potential takeover, all the while making sure the press spotted them together at every possible occasion. The British-born billionaire then failed to make any progress in negotiations and that was the end of that.

Now with the season approaching the end and Rafa Benitez’s future still up in the air, another takeover rumour has emerged which has caused sceptical Magpies fans to respond.

It’s fair to say that most have taken Kitson’s latest claim with a pinch of salt, questioning his credentials and one even pointing out that the former Reading striker’s comments came on April Fool’s Day. Here’s a look at what Newcastle fans have been saying on Twitter…