Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp criticized a referee for a controversial offside VAR decision saying….
Despite Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Burnley on Boxing Day, manager Jurgen Klopp was not entirely satisfied.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp criticized a referee for a controversial offside VAR decision saying….
Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, lost patience with VAR after Harvey Elliott’s goal was disallowed in the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Burnley. The England Under-21 player believed he had extended his team’s lead in the second half, but referee Paul Tierney disallowed the goal after sending Mohamed Salah to the pitchside monitor because VAR said he was offside and obstructed goalkeeper James Trafford’s view.
According to Amazon Prime footage, Salah was forced into that spot by a Burnley defender. Klopp believed that Trafford would be unable to stop Elliott’s deft finish even if Salah was within the six-yard area.
After seeing a replay, Klopp went on an extremely critical tirade regarding VAR. “Only somebody who never played football could have made that,” he stated. “This offside call can only be made by them. He examined it for five minutes, and when you see it, it’s absurd, they will tell us in the end that it’s off-center or anything.
Steve McManaman, a legend of Liverpool, restated Klopp’s stance that Salah was only offside because he was pushed into it. Additionally, he conceded that Trafford was already moving in the other direction and could not stop Elliott’s strike; McManaman thought this was “madness”.
Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota’s goals did, however, propel Liverpool to the top of the Premier League standings—at least until Thursday, when Arsenal hosts West Ham. Klopp said, “It’s nice,” after seeing a snapshot of the league standings. “It’s not clear when it will change, but that shouldn’t be an issue. 42 points; it wasn’t flawless, but we’re good with where we are.
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Spurs have now discussed signing “underrated” Premier League star
There’s been internal discussions.
Tottenham Hotspur have discussed signing an “underrated” Premier League star as their transfer plans for 2024 continue to take shape.
Levy and Lange preparing for January
As hinted at by manager Ange Postecoglou, Spurs chiefs Daniel Levy and Johan Lange are fully preparing for the January window and beyond, with the Lilywhites looking to build a long-term project under their popular head coach.
Tottenham trying to sign “awesome” new defender target with £17.5m clause
He’s impressed for his club this season.
“Johan’s [Lange] got his department and he talks with Daniel [Levy] and all of the other key personnel, and I’ll get in the loop when you get the significant moments of potentially some progress in certain areas,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s transfers.
“But yeah, the planning is under way but obviously you need multiple parties to be involved and agree on something, and that’s not always easy.”
Sky Sports recently claimed the north Londoners are prioritising the signing of younger players, which is a clear suggestion that they’re fully thinking about the future under Postecoglou. The Australian has enjoyed a fantastic early debut season overall, even making the best start to a season by any new manager in Premier League history.
Injuries and suspensions thwarted their momentum for a time, but despite limited numbers, Spurs have won three league games on the bounce. Once the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison return to action, the north Londoners should be in fantastic stead and among the favourites for a top four finish.
That being said, there are still key positions which are in need of bolstering – with reports claiming Tottenham want a new defender, midfielder and forward (The Athletic). In the latter area, there is the small matter of replacing former star striker Harry Kane, who is now firing on all cylinders for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Richarlison has recently seized an opportunity as Spurs’ sole striker, coming into a rich vein of form with four goals in his last three league games.
However, it is still believed they’re eyeing up more prolific options for 2024, as Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez attracts interest from Spurs among other names. Another star liked by Tottenham is Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who looks set to be front and centre to one of 2024’s biggest transfer sagas.
Spurs discuss signing Toney
According to a report by The Guardian and reliable journalist Ed Aarons, Spurs have spoken about signing Toney alongside the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
The striker bagged 20 league goals last season before his ban for alleged gambling breaches, and reports suggest he could leave the Bees for an initial £60m fee next year (Miguel Delaney). Toney, who’s been called “underrated” by members of the media (Statman Dave), has even been likened to Kane by Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
“If you look at what he does for Brentford, how consistent he is and what he does for his team, he’s fully deserving of a call-up,” said Rice to talkSPORT.
“He’s kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he’s not only an out-and-out striker, he’s a playmaker as well – his left and right footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have.”
Spurs could sign a “relentless” £50m star who’s like a “Poch-era Dele Alli”
Ange Postecoglou would turn this Premier League star into an absolute monster.
With 2023 drawing to a close, Tottenham Hotspur have been among the more tumultuous of Premier League clubs, though Ange Postecoglou is working feverishly to ensure that his side return to prominence on the continent.
Antonio Conte was sacked in March after a slide in form and a loss of identity. It was Tottenham’s fourth managerial dismissal in as many years, and it was yet another roadblock that stifled the London club’s chances of competing at the forefront of Premier League and European football.
But navigating away from the appointments of managers of glittering pedigree and welcoming Postecoglou to the head of the table – who had done a stellar job with Celtic in Scotland but was not considered the same calibre as the Conte’s and Jose Mourinho’s of the game – has proved to be an astute piece of business for the Lilywhites.
Despite acquiescing to Harry Kane’s demands to be sold and granting his departure to Bayern Munich in August, Tottenham have proved that they can return to the Champions League, but they need more signings.
A brilliant start to the campaign was halted in November when injuries and suspensions highlighted just how thin the Spurs squad still is.
The January market is fast approaching, however, and Postecoglou and his transfer team will be sure to make good use of the opportunity to augment the ranks.
Tottenham transfer news – Conor Gallagher
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have received a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher following news that the Blues have deemed the player sellable as they seek to recuperate funds and move in line with regulations to permit lucrative spending in 2024.
The report relays murmurings that Chelsea would be willing to part with the England international for £50m, though it is probable that discussions with interested parties will start at the £40m mark.
Manchester United and West Ham United are also listed as suitors, but Spurs lodged an (unsuccessful) £40m bid for Gallagher’s services on summer deadline day and could entice the 23-year-old to make a bold cross-London switch.
Conor Gallagher’s style of play
It’s surprising that Gallagher is among the stars to have been made expendable at Chelsea, regardless of the monetary benefits that could be gleaned from the sale of a homegrown player.
As per FBref, Gallagher ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 17% for tackles, the top 3% for blocks and the top 9% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
| Conor Gallagher: Similar Players | |
|---|---|
| Player | Club |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Guido Rodriguez | Real Betis |
| Joao Palhinha | Fulham |
| Boubacar Kamara | Aston Villa |
| Konrad Laimer | Bayern Munich |
| *Sourced via Football Transfers | |
Evidencing his penetrative presence in the midfield and willingness to push forward and make things happen for his team, Gallagher has been important for a Chelsea side that has struggled to click into gear for successive seasons now.
Across all competitions, the £50k-per-week ace has completed 65 fixtures for the Blues, scoring three goals and supplying five assists, with his energy and industriousness establishing him as one of Mauricio Pochettino’s most important stars this term.
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Ange Postecoglou will target a defender to improve his side this January.
As per Sofascore, the 11-cap international has started 16 of the Stamford Bridge side’s league games this year, supplying four assists, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.8 tackles and 6.6 ball recoveries per game, completing 73% of his dribbles and winning 55% of his duels.
A highly effective multi-functional midfielder, Gallagher would be a brilliant capture for a Tottenham team that needs to bolster the engine room this winter, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr both off to the African Cup of Nations next month.
He also boasts some striking similarities to Dele Alli, and within a free-flowing Spurs system, he could be moulded into a player of the same merit with some tactical tweaking.
Claims that Gallagher emulates such a style are corroborated by the words of The Athletic’s Mike Stavrou, who took to Twitter to state: “Conor Gallagher was absolutely relentless with his pressing and energy tonight. Some player Chelsea have got.”
How Conor Gallagher compares to “Poch-era” Dele Alli
Postecoglou wants fluency and offensive verve weaved into his set-up at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and would make good use of Gallagher’s abilities, with the Chelsea man called a “manager’s dream” by former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira.
Vieira was Gallagher’s boss during the 2021/22 season when he was loaned out to Crystal Palace to gain some important Premier League experience – it’s safe to say that he surpassed expectations.
During his time at Selhurst Park, the Englishman scored eight goals, completed 81% of his passes and averaged 2.1 tackles per game, with a budding prolificness offering shades of Alli, with journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke drawing the comparison.
Vieira said: “He surprised me with his finishing, he surprised me with his energy, he surprised me with the way he gets into the box at the right time to score goals.”
Alli signed for Tottenham from League One side MK Dons as a teenager in 2015, for around £5m, and went on to establish himself as one of the division’s greatest-ever youngsters, scoring 37 goals and supplying 29 assists across his first three campaigns, with Mourinho claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best”.
An intelligent and positionally astounding player, Alli would waltz into the danger area with remarkable constancy, thriving in a high-octane system – this is something that Gallagher could emulate with the current Tottenham squad.
Gallagher has demonstrated his calibre as a goalscoring presence from the middle in the past and such a streak could be reignited with a move to Tottenham, where he could prove to be the second coming of Alli, providing Postecoglou’s side with a cutting-edge from deep to take the stress from Heung-min Son’s shoulders.
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