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Liverpool fans have been celebrating Jurgen Klopp’s transformation of the club after seven Reds players have been nominated for the latest prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Georginio Wijnaldum and Alisson have been chosen from the squad. The German manager guided the Merseyside club to UEFA Champions League glory in Madrid after beating Tottenham 2-0 in the final and accumulated 97 points in the Premier League.

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The Reds have picked up where they left off last season as they are top of the Premier League and undefeated after nine games, only conceding seven goals.

Supporters were delighted about the progression that their side has made since Klopp’s arrival in 2015, with the German being the fourth manager of Liverpool in the last decade.

One fan said that the 52-year-old has done “absolute wonders” with the squad, while another described the achievement as “simply incredible”.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Liverpool fans:

Arsenal fans were impressed with Shkodran Mustafi’s performance as the Gunners beat Vitoria 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday evening.The Gunners fell behind after eight minutes as former Tottenham Hotspur youngster Marcus Edwards netted, but Gabriel Martinelli equalised later in the first half.Bruno Duarte put the Portuguese side back in front and Unai Emery’s men were rescued by two late free-kicks from Nicolas Pepe, with the second coming in the 92nd minute.Per WhoScored, Mustafi had 85 touches of the ball throughout the game and also won a game-high 11 aerial duels, along with two successful tackles and one interception.And, despite the club conceding twice, fans were quick to praise Mustafi for his showing at The Emirates.

Indeed, he has yet to play in the Premier League this season, though he has made three appearances in Europe and one in the Carabao Cup.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Pepijn Lijnders spoke ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal and his words have led many fans to call on him to be named as Jurgen Klopp’s successor.

The Reds’ assistant manager joined the club in 2014 and many believe his continuation of Klopp’s philosophy would be the best route to take when he eventually departs.

It is a somewhat surprising viewpoint when you look at Lijnders’ record in management. In his native Netherlands he spent just five months in charge of NEC Nijmegen from the beginning of 2018, but was sacked following his failure to get the club promoted from the Eerste Divisie.

Taking over Liverpool would be a huge step up and a considerable task for a young coach with limited experience in the hot seat.

Nevertheless, one fan thinks the 36-year-old is being “groomed” for the role and others are impressed with the way he handles himself, as well as recognising the responsibility he has already been given for League Cup fixtures.

Here are some of the reactions from supporters calling for him to be Liverpool’s next manager.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards believes Nicolas Otamendi is often used as a “scapegoat”. The City icon has also praised the Argentine for his performances in the title-winning season of 2017-18.

What did he say?

Otamendi has had a tough start to this season and has found his position at centre-back under threat. As Vincent Kompany left and Aymeric Laporte got injured, the 31-year-old needed to step up. However, calamitous errors in the defeats to Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers have shone a light on his glaring frailties and lack of reliability.

However, Richards has defended the Argentine, claiming that he is used as a scapegoat for the club. The ex-City star told BBC 5 Live Sport: “I know he’s not played and he’s been going through a tough time,” he said.

“In these big games, this might be a game where he has a good performance and that can set his season up to have a great season.

“It’s a little bit difficult for him because where City are in the league, everything is under the microscope and I feel like sometimes he can be the scapegoat of Man City.

“Yes, he does dive in too much for my liking, but the season when they won the league they were calling him the General, he really had some really good performances. He just needs to get his confidence back and hopefully, it can be this Sunday.”

Proved his worth

There can be little doubt that Otamendi has had a tough demise over the past year. His shocking error against Norwich led to Teemu Pukki’s goal and three points dropped. Not long after this, the defender was unlocked at the back by Adama Traore twice in the game.

However, back in the 2017-18 season which Richards alluded to, Otamendi earned his way into the PFA Team of the Year and helped City drop just 14 points all year.

Otamendi has indeed been used as a scapegoat for City and yes he has had a tough time of late but, should be be selected in the starting XI on Sunday, he may have the perfect chance to redeem himself against Liverpool.

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

Harry Kane has to start leading from the front for Tottenham Hotspur.

On the chalkboard

The England international endured a difficult performance as Spurs drew 1-1 with Sheffield United on Saturday.

The result leaves the club in the bottom half of the table, already 11 points behind both Chelsea and Leicester City.

Kane, of course, is perhaps Spurs’ best player. He is a world-class striker and his scoring rate is impeccable. He has netted 174 times in 268 outings. This season, in a campaign in which he has been noticeably off the pace, he has still scored 10 times in 15 games.

Yet, against the Blades, he went missing.

Kane did have two shots on goal but, per WhoScored, neither of them were on target.

He touched the ball 28 times, fewer than any other player to start the game. He attempted 17 passes but just 10 were accurate.

Kane did win six aerial duels but he did not win a tackle, nor he did not complete a dribble as he was dispossessed on three separate occasions.

By all accounts, that is a woeful performance, particularly from a player who is relied upon to provide the spark, the example which all of his team-mates follow.

A running theme

In each of the last four outings for Spurs, Kane has not completed more than 20 passes. Even still, he has never once had more than 75% passing accuracy in those games.

He has scored one goal in that time – against Liverpool, in the first minute – but against the Reds, Sheffield United, Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion, he has had a combined seven shots. Against Aston Villa on the opening day, he had eight.

Now, of course, Kane missed the clash with Everton due to a virus and perhaps that had sapped his energy, perhaps that was the reason for his slow, molasses-like performance.

But if it wasn’t medical – and the stats suggest that it wasn’t – one has to ask what on Earth has happened to him.

He has now gone two Premier League matches without making a tackle or an interception or a dribble.

By all accounts, he has been remarkably poor.

But there simply isn’t anyone else. Spurs let Fernando Llorente leave in the summer and they really have no other chance but to hope that Kane turns this around.

The numbers, though, paint a depressing picture for everyone associated with Tottenham.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United “will not be pursuing” a move for former star Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Swede’s first spell at Old Trafford was a very successful one, with the 38-year-old scoring 29 times and providing a further 10 assists in 53 games across all competitions.

The veteran opened the door to a potential return to the club earlier this season, but according to Sky Sports, it appears that may not turn out to be the case. The report claims that whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are keen to “bolster” their options up front, they will not be targeting a move for Ibrahimovic when the winter window opens up in a couple of months time.

The perfect stop-gap

Whilst it is understandable that the Red Devils are perhaps focused on building for the future, a mid-season swoop for Ibrahimovic makes sense on so many levels. The forward already knows the club inside out from his time at Old Trafford before, and at 38, would surely be content with playing sporadically.

His gravitas and charismatic style would also be a major lift to the United dressing room, whilst his goal-scoring pedigree would be something the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood could really learn from. His incredibly long and successful career has seen him win countless trophies, including league titles in France, Italy and Spain – the kind of knowledge and know-how that would be like stardust to United’s young forward.

Additionally, luring big-money targets in January is always difficult with clubs unwilling to lose them when they may have something to fight for, so a move for Ibrahimovic would allow them to have a bona-fide star for half a season before making an attempt to sign a striker much higher up on their short-list in the summer.

The Red Devils’ reported reluctance to bring the Swede back to Manchester smacks of sheer narrow mindedness.

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

Federico Valverde is Real Madrid’s revelation of the season. The 21-year-old midfielder has suddenly become a crucial part of their squad but the latest triumph over Eibar uncovered one other aspect of his game that could take him to the next level.

On the chalkboard

By all standards, Real Madrid’s victory over Eibar this last weekend was a true statement clash.

Zinedine Zidane’s men steamrolled their opposition, forcing four goals into their net in the process and tallying important three points for their campaign.

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Valverde was once again part of that victorious squad, as he was so many times before. The Galacticos are not really the same team with and without the young midfielder, as we have already discussed on a previous occasion.

But against Eibar, the 21-year-old rattled the inside of the opposition’s net with a brilliant strike from around the edge of the box.

For all of his qualities, this was something we didn’t know he possessed. But if he can make that part of his arsenal, the sky could be the limit.

The missing ingredient

That goal was Valverde’s first one while donning the royal white shirt of Real Madrid, but they will be hoping it’s not nearly the last.

So far, the young midfielder has 35 games for the club under his belt and can also boast one assist as well.

But even though he has been mostly remarkable in everything else, considering the team’s results with him in the squad, shooting has never truly been a part of his repertoire.

In the 2019/20 La Liga season, Valverde registered 0.9 shots on average according to WhoScored, and for that reason it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he doesn’t score much, or at all.

Back in 2018/19, that figure was even lower with 0.4 shots per game but also suggests a certain growth that shouldn’t be disregarded.

Similarly, his expected goals output for that season was just 0.23 and it rose to 1.02 in the 2019/20 – again, a clear improvement is visible and it could indicate Valverde is getting more audacious in the final third.

At the moment, that seems to be the only real flaw of his player profile and if he can iron it out in the not so distant future, Real Madrid could be having a potentially complete midfielder on their hands.

That would be an incredible thing for Los Blancos.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian outlet FC Inter News, Manchester United are amongst a host of clubs scouting Dejan Kulusevski.

What’s the word?

The Atalanta youngster is currently enjoying an impressive campaign whilst on loan at fellow Italian side Parma, notching two goals and providing a further five assists.

Now, FC Inter News claim that his fine form has attracted the attention of several clubs, with scouts from United, Arsenal and Southampton drawing up “more than flattering reviews” about the versatile forward.

The report further adds however that the Red Devils may have to wait till next summer to land the 19-year-old’s signature, with the Swede happy to wait and enjoy more regular first-team football with Parma.

Fits the puzzle

Predominantly a right-winger, Kulusevski would instantly help to solve United’s glaring lack of real quality and options in that position. Currently, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been using the likes of Daniel James, Andreas Pereira and even Juan Mata from there, and so the Red Devils could desperately do with a sprinkle of added magic from the flank.

In Kulusevski, they would be getting exactly that. As per Whoscored, he averages a very impressive 2.3 key passes and 2.6 dribbles per game, and that ability to find the killer ball for his fellow teammates to feed on is exactly what the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial will be dreaming about. The 19-year-old’s five assists in Serie A is good enough to put him in joint-second in the league’s rankings, only behind Luis Alberto (8).

Parma director Alessandro Lucarelli paid him a remarkable compliment when speaking about him earlier this season.

“Kulusevski is a born talent. For this reason, Atalanta gave him only a dry loan (one without an option to buy clause) because they knew his qualities. He has an incredible maturity.”

If the Red Devils can eventually seal a deal for this “born talent”, he could no doubt prove to be an inspired signing for a position they could really do with some extra quality in.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday are staring down the barrel of a monumentally challenging period after the EFL charged the club for financial misconduct.

It comes after the Owls sold their Hillsborough stadium to owner Dejphon Chansiri in order to offset any debts made in their 2017/18 accounts.

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Although no punishment is yet to be announced, it is expected that the club could face a minimum of a 12-point deduction while further penalties such as a transfer embargo and even expulsion can’t be taken out of the equation just yet.

This saga is only going to rumble on as the club plan to contest the charges.

Wednesday have been hit with a restriction on signing players multiple times before so that would come as nothing new, but if that course of action does ensue, then it leaves manager Garry Monk in a precarious predicament.

Around 11 first team players see their contracts expire at the end of the season, and given that 21 different members of the squad have lined up in the blue and white stripes this season, the Owls boss could be without nearly an entire starting XI come the summer.

If they are indeed operating under an embargo, it will make any activity to replace them all that more difficult.

Monk may be forced to finally delve into the academy set up so that he can actually have a full squad for next season.

In doing so, it would bring one major benefit to the table as he will be able to eradicate one of the club’s long-term ‘on the pitch’ issues.

The current side are the oldest in the Championship – no player under the age of 23 has even enjoyed one minute on the Hillsborough turf either.

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Therefore, despite all the potential negativity to come from this awful situation, the young players contracted at the club should up their game in case they do get called upon in the near future.

And there’s plenty of talent lying in wait as Monk has regularly called players into first-team training, even as recently as at the start of this very month.

We’ll have to wait and see whether or not the EFL makes an example out of Wednesday before such planning can take place.

Unquestionably Tottenham Hotspur would be all the poorer without Harry Kane.

The north London side would have been deprived of 131 artfully slotted Premier League goals, while on the international stage England would have missed out on a formidably prolific striker destined to become his country’s record goal-scorer.

The extent of Kane’s importance to both club and country evokes some pertinent questions: would Spurs have established themselves as a top four side in the Pochettino era without their leading light? As for the Three Lions, would a World Cup semi-final have been reached minus Kane’s Golden Boot-winning six goals?

The answer to both lies somewhere in the region of ‘probably not’.

But even when fully acknowledging the forward’s incredible impact in recent times nothing can be stated with absolute certainty, except for one thing: if Harry Kane did not exist Tammy Abraham would be England’s number nine right now and Gareth Southgate’s chief front man. And we would all be very excited about that.

How could that not be the case considering the 22-year-old’s ascendancy, one that has been accompanied every step of the way with an abundance of goals. After finding the net with alarming regularity through Chelsea’s youth ranks Abraham was sent on a season-long loan to Bristol City as a teenager and notched 23 times.

His reputation sky-high a second temporary stint duly followed, this time to Premier League Swansea only here he relatively struggled, with the jump in class coming perhaps too soon for the developing hit-man.

So it was back to the Championship to Aston Villa where the goals rained in once again, on this occasion a quarter of a century of them in the league alone.

This season a second bite at the top flight cherry with his parent club Chelsea has put Abraham in firm contention to win this year’s Golden Boot with his ten goals in 12 games consigning established internationals Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi to the margins.

It’s a ratio that equates to a goal every 90 minutes. Last week the Camberwell-born star scored his first for his country – a year before Kane did likewise – and all told Abraham’s potency and movement have greatly impressed one and all.

He is the real deal. He is the next big thing. He is – though this should maybe be whispered at this early juncture – England’s rightful successor to Lineker, Shearer and Owen.

There is a problem here though isn’t there, or from England’s perspective at least it’s a highly welcomed dilemma in need of solving. It is a problem/dilemma who is 6 ft 2, captains his nation and scores a ferocious amount of goals on a consistent basis. A player who is already those trio’s successor.

Harry Kane is undroppable. He is a ruthless talisman around whom the rest of the team orbit. So how on earth does Gareth Southgate accommodate an emerging goal-scoring sensation who is primed and ready to make his own path alongside some enormous footprints; a player who, let’s not dismiss, would be a huge threat on the pitch for England at the Euros next summer.

Having Abraham as a back-up is a waste. For one thing we have little idea how impactful he is as a substitute. For another he has outperformed Kane in the goal-scoring department so far this term.

Perhaps then the solution lies in playing them both, though that would require a dramatic tactical rethink from the England boss.

Sticking the youngster out wide to facilitate his current preferred 4-3-3 would inevitably lead to a compromised shoehorning as witnessed with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal. It would mean then a reversion to the three at the back as witnessed at the World Cup, with Alexander-Arnold and Chilwell pushed up as wing-backs and Kane and Abraham running amok up front.

Will Southgate go for this? It is doubtful given it’s a formation he has clearly moved on from but one thing is for sure: with Kane guaranteed to start and Abraham forcing his manager’s hand to play him, don’t be surprised if it’s not at least trailed in the months ahead.