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  • TLW
    Steven Gerrard is putting at risk any hopes of becoming Liverpool manager if he leaves Rangers and joins Aston Villa according to Ally McCoist.
     
    Dean Smith was sacked on Sunday after three years at Villa where he returned the Midlands club to the Premier League and had a win percentage just over 39% during his tenure.
     
    Gerrard went into Rangers folklore last season by breaking the stranglehold that bitter rivals Celtic had on the Scottish Premiership guiding them to a unbeaten season and winning many managerial awards along the way.
     
    That led to Gerrard being linked to some Premier League jobs, firstly Newcastle and in recent days the Villa post.
     
    The momentum of Gerrard getting the job at Villa Park seems to gathering pace by the hour, however McCoist feels that he will be much better served by staying at Ibrox for the time being.
     
    Metro (via Talksport) reported the Rangers legend as saying:
     
    “Are you trying to tell me Aston Villa are a bigger club than Glasgow Rangers? Of course he should (stay at Rangers).
     
    “He wants the Liverpool job, what if he goes to Aston Villa if it doesn’t work out. He’s got a better chance of success at Rangers than he does at Aston Villa if he wants the Liverpool job.
     
    ‘So he goes to Aston Villa and it doesn’t work out he’s not going to get the Liverpool job. He could stay at Rangers, retain the league, straight into the Champions League, that’s great success and a better chance of the Liverpool job.”
     

     
    Gerrard has regularly said that managing Liverpool is his dream job however he has an awful lot to prove to even be considered for the job once Jurgen Klopp departs.
     
    He is even comfortable in the knowledge that it may never come his way.
     
    “Liverpool is my club. I had a great journey. Is it a dream for me to one day be the Liverpool manager? Yes, it is, but not yet and who's to say I'll ever be good enough. There's a lot of managers on this planet, we need to respect Jurgen first and foremost."
     
    Gerrard will be looking to follow the footsteps of his former manager in Brendan Rodgers who after coming down from a very successful reign at Celtic, has turned Leicester into a consistent top six club while also challenging for domestic trophies.
     
    Villa have often been referred to as the ‘sleeping giant’ of the Premier League, a club who have looked really promising at certain periods of a season, only to fail when the pressure is at its highest.
     
    So could the man who haunted the Claret and Blue so many times in his playing days (13 goals in 27 games across all competitions) be their ultimate saviour?
     
    Time will tell.
  • There are literally thousands of online casinos to choose from, and if it's your first time looking for one, it can be hard to tell which ones you can trust with your money.  The vast majority of online casinos are legitimate, but some are either unsafe, fraudulent or a waste of time. Thankfully, there are signs that will tell you whether a casino is worth your time or not pretty fast. Let's take a look at some of the red flags to watch out for when looking at online casinos.
     
    Unprofessional Looking Website
     
    One of the clearest signs of an untrustworthy casino is if you notice issues with their website or glitches with their app. If you see any typos or unstable design elements, then it's a clear red flag. Online casinos make enough money to have top-of-the-line websites and have their copy proofread, so this isn't something you should see.
     
    If you do, give any website you were thinking of playing a test drive, but only if you can avoid giving your payment information. This will allow you to see how smooth their software is. If you see choppy animations or bugs, then this is another bad sign. Unless the hardware you’re using is severely outdated, their app should run normally without major issues. If you see any, consider looking elsewhere.
     
    Suspicious Licence
     
    You should only play at licenced online casinos, and their licence has to come from a respected regulatory body. If you can’t find the licence, you should leave immediately as this is the clearest sign of a fraudulent site.
     
    If the casino is not licenced by the UKGC, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, or the Malta Gaming Authority, then it should be cause for concern. Other respected regulatory bodies include the Kahnawake Gaming Commission and Curaçao Gaming Control Board. If their licence was not issued by one of these bodies, then you might have to think twice about playing there. 
     
    If you don't want to go through the trouble of searching for a site’s licence or researching licencing bodies, then you should check out a review site like OnlineCasinos. All the casinos OnlineCasinos reviews are licenced, and they only showcase casinos that are up to a certain standard of quality. You’ll also get a quick snapshot of what it’s like to play at each casino, along with some of the special offers they have for new players.
     
    Poor Customer Service
     
    If you notice that the site has poor or non-existent customer service, then you shouldn’t play there, plain and simple. Plenty of things can go wrong at an online casino. You could have issues with payments or withdrawals, or don’t receive a payout after winning. You should be able to speak with a customer service rep at any time of the day and through multiple methods.
     
    A good online casino will allow you to contact their reps through phone, email, and live chat. So, when first playing at a casino, try their live chat function and see if it’s working and how long it takes for a human to answer you.
     
    We also suggest that you give the casino a call so you can gauge the quality of their customer service better. Try to ask them very precise questions, such as the RTP ratios on games, how long it takes for withdrawals to be cleared, or questions about their bonus structure. The person on the other side should be able to answer these questions with no problem and in clear English. If for some reason you can't reach a human or they seem confused, play elsewhere.
     
    Outlandish Bonuses
     
    Most online casinos will offer bonuses to new players. These will usually be in the form of a deposit match bonus. You might see casinos offer anywhere from 100% to 300% of your initial deposit as a bonus. But, if you see a casino offer anything much higher than that, then you should be careful.
     
    It doesn’t necessarily mean that the site is fraudulent, but there might be some things hidden in the fine print. One of the ways these casinos get you is by putting insanely high wagering requirements for you to redeem your bonus. Some will require that you spend 80 times the amount of your bonus before you can withdraw your winnings. So, make sure that you read the details and see if the bonus is actually worth it.
     
    Vague History
     
    If you can’t find actual players with anything good to say about an online casino, this is not a good sign. Even if a casino is relatively new, you should be able to get some accounts of people that have played there. You should also check the casino’s “about us” page and see what you find.
     
    If the content is vague and generic, then it’s a clear red flag. You should at least get some information about when the casino was established, some information about their licencing, and the technology they’re using. You should get an idea of which software providers they use to power their games. If you can't see any of that, we would advise that you spend your money elsewhere.
     
    Limited Payment Options
     
    Great online casinos will offer a wide variety of payment options. A casino that only allows you to make payments through major credit cards and bank transfers is very likely a front for fraudulent activities. If a casino offers PayPal and other options like Neteller, Skrill, and Paysafecard, on the other hand, then it’s usually a sign of a website that you can trust, as long as it meets all other requirements. 
     
    When it comes to withdrawals, you should check what the delays are. Any casino that takes more than four days to deposit money in your account should be avoided.
     
    These are all things that you should look at whenever you’re searching for online casinos. This will give you an instant idea of whether a site might be dangerous or not worth playing at.
  • Mohamed Salah’s performances for Liverpool this year have cemented him as truly one of the best players on the planet, and there’s certainly more than enough of an argument to say that he’s the world’s best player at the current moment in time. The ‘Egyptian King’ has scored 15 times in 12 appearances this season, including 10 in nine Premier League games giving defenders fits in the reds’ undefeated start to the season.
     
    Considering his form throughout 2021, it’s hard not to put him among the favourites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Betting sites currently have his odds at 25/1 behind PSG’s Lionel Messi (1/3) and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski (9/4), but recent performances may well make the Egyptian King the king of all world football, and put it beyond reasonable doubt that he truly is the best player in world football.
     
    The best in the world?
     
    Star Scottish left back Andy Robertson recently called Salah the “world’s best” footballer in an interview with Sky Sports. He said: “I think the way he's playing at the start of this season - he's been incredible. You can just see him walking on the pitch and he feels as though any chance he gets he's going to score.
     
    “The thing that goes under-rated with Mo is his work-rate - the way he helps out Trent (Alexander-Arnold), the way he helps out his defence behind him and everything like that. That's when he's at his best, that's when he creates the chances and gets the goals, when he's mentally so strong.
     
    “He's an incredible player and I think at this moment he's the world's best and he'll want to continue that. He won't want it for nine or 10 games, which he's done so far, he'll want to do it for a whole season like he's done previously and hopefully he can do it, because it gives us the best chance of scoring goals and winning trophies."
     
    Salah ranks first in the Premier League in goals, shots, shots on target and expected goals, and his five assists rank second behind Paul Pogba. His hat-trick against Manchester United was his most remarkable performance of the season with doubt, proving himself to be unplayable against Liverpool’s bitter rivals in their 5-0 demolition job at Old Trafford.
     
    Klopp’s high praise
     
    Salah’s performances this season have not just Robertson saying Salah is the best around, but his manager Jurgen Klopp too. After Salah’s mesmerizing show against Watford on October 16, Klopp told BT Sport: “"His performance was massive today. The pass for the first goal was great and the second goal was special. He is top. We all see it. Who is better than him? We don't have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, he is the best."
     
    Klopp gave Liverpool fans something to be particularly excited about, saying that he thought there was even more to come from his star forward. He said: “He is at his age where you can still improve, and he's doing that constantly. You saw the first goal that he set up for Sadio today, that is an outstanding pass. He brought that, I don't know, from the summer break. After that, he started doing these kinds of things.
     
    “He's in the top, top five since he is at Liverpool pretty much. And now he is the best in that moment. The big thing between Cristiano and Messi was that nobody had a doubt about it for years, but Mo is already on the top level for years as well and there's still a lot to come from him because of his desire. He just wants to perform on a top-class level."
     
    What are people in the media saying?
     
    It’s not just people within Liverpool Football Club that share this belief too, as pundits have been saying the same thing. After Salah’s performance against Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United legend Gary Neville said: I feel he could be [the best in the world] at this moment in time because when I look at Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, they're players who have been the best for the past five to 10 years, but they're just not quite at the level right now that they'd ordinarily be at.
     
    "Salah right now is at a level that's really high and has been for the past three or four seasons. He's a special player. He's ruthless, clinical and so single-minded in terms of scoring goals. At this moment in time, he could be."
     
    Former England defender Martin Keown and BBC pundit was also full of praise for the Egyptian after the Watford game, saying: "The pass from Mo Salah to Sadio Mane was out of this world. We are seeing Salah at Lionel Messi's level."
     
    Former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards, who works for both BBC and Sky as a pundit, agreed with Keown, saying: “At this moment in time Liverpool look like the team to beat. When I watched Salah against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago he was in the form of his life and he can't be stopped at the moment.
     
    "As a team everything looks like it's coming together and they really do look strong. Salah is the best forward in European football at the moment in my opinion."
     
    As Salah continues to put in other-wordly performances in a Liverpool shirt, his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or improve. Messi has not been performing at his usual elite status this season, and has failed to find his feet a bit for PSG so far, and while Lewandowski has been in fine goalscoring form, no one is in better form than the Egyptian at the moment. While the bookmakers have Salah as an outside bet to win the title of best player in the world, he may have hit form at the perfect time, with his brilliant performances fresh in the mind of voters.
  • The early days of the season have seen numerous Mohamed Salah masterclasses for Liverpool. The Egyptian superstar is scarcely stopped, as Manchester United found out to their cost on a humbling afternoon in late October for the Red Devils at what is supposed to be their Theatre of Dreams.
     
    Salah added another match ball to his collection: the Reds talisman is into double figures for the season and has become the highest-scoring African in Premier League history, the first opposition player in the same competition to record a treble at Old Trafford, while also forcing his way further into Ballon d’Or contention.
     
    No one-man band
     
    Liverpool are far from being a one-man band. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are much more than extras in a thrilling Merseyside blockbuster, while the extended supporting cast continues to show that they are more than capable of being leading men.
     
     
     
    After the first 10 games of the season, Salah had scored an impressive 10 goals from 42 shots, while Sadio Mane has hit the back of the net on six occasions out of 33 shots and Roberto Firmino four with 12 attempts at goal. This type of data is important as it can be used in a range of areas including informing betting, which bookmakers have acknowledged as they use services such as Pronet, which is online sportsbook software that utilises local-data journalists and umpires/referees to provide fast and accurate data. Naturally, having data readily available on their sites as part of their service provides a more convenient experience for the consumer and this area is only likely to continue growing.
     
    With Liverpool's forward line firing on all cylinders it's no wonder that bookmakers are predicting that another title challenge could very well be on the cards for the club. After all, they're currently poised as third-favourites in the race for the Premier League title. Having ended 30 years of hurt in 2020, the wait for another crown should be considerably shorter.
     
    Helping to lead that charge to victory will be Jordan Henderson. The man that got his hands on long-awaited silverware will likely be aspiring to repeat those celebrations in front of a full house. He may not dominate headlines in that quest, but his value to the collective cause remains without question.
     
    England international Henderson can sail under the radar at times, for club and country, but his biggest supporters remain his most important – namely Klopp and a legion of Reds fans around the world. Henderson’s showing against United in late October summed him up perfectly. Others did the damage, but without him, a well-oiled machine would not have ticked over as smoothly as it did.
     
    We also need to talk about that assist. A week earlier, Salah nonchalantly curled a pass with the outside of his left boot into the path of the partner in crime Mane to open the scoring at Watford. Plaudits rained down on Liverpool’s No.11 as comparisons were drawn with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
     
     
     
    In Manchester, Henderson produced similar magic with his right foot. A perfectly weighted pass early in the second half against United allowed Salah to complete his hat trick without breaking stride. Social media went into meltdown again, with Salah still the star attraction.
     
    No complaints
     
    Henderson could be forgiven for wanting a larger slice of the adoration pie. He will not ask for it, though. As long as everybody else eats well, the Reds skipper will settle for leftovers.
     
    The humble, unsung hero is the role he has been given, and he continues to play it at an Oscar-esque level. The big awards will not come his way – no PFA prizes or Golden Balls – but plenty of superheroes operate in the shadows, and not all of them wear capes.
  • There goes the unbeaten run then. Avoiding defeat in this game would have broken a club record but we blew it. To David Moyes too. That leaves a sour taste in the mouth, not least because he's now lording it above us in the table for at least two weeks. The worst part is it was nothing more than we deserved as I thought this was shite.
     
    Losing the unbeaten run is disappointing as it would have been nice to set the record. Losing this season's unbeaten league record doesn’t bother me so much though. We were the last unbeaten team in the league but I don't especially care about that. By that I mean this defeat doesn't hurt any more just because we can't go unbeaten. It did the last time it happened (at Watford two years ago) because there was a real chance of going through that season unbeaten.
     
    That was never on the cards this time. I didn’t think any kind of ‘invincible’ season was possible as we could easily have lost to Brighton, Brentford and City already. We don’t have that same look that we had a couple of years ago. Not consistently anyway. At times this year we’ve looked as good as ever, but it’s been patchy.
     
    In fact, if you take the Champions League results away we might be looking at this season much differently than we have been. We’ve played 11 games in the league and we’ve dropped points in five of them. As I say, it’s been patchy and some of these players really need to step up now as we've underperformed in too many games already.
     
    Klopp’s biggest beef afterwards was the referee and VAR. Fuck that. We had much bigger problems than that here and quite honestly I didn’t like that being the focus of his post match summary.
     
    There’s fuck all wrong with West Ham’s first goal. Any contact between Alisson and Ogbonna is initiated by Alisson. Ogbonna isn’t even looking at him. All he’s trying to do is jump at the near post and get a flick on the ball. He doesn’t back in, he isn't challenging the keeper, he just jumps straight up the air and then Alisson challenges him. 
     
    Klopp complained that Ogbonna's arm hits Alisson’s arm and that’s why he couldn’t punch the ball. What the fuck is Ogbonna meant to do then? Not try and win the header? Keep his arms by his side when he jumps? We have seen fouls given for similar incidents but that doesn’t mean they should be. It isn’t a foul and Alisson needs to do much better than that. 
     
    We’d actually started the game really well so that was a kick in the teeth. We’d been knocking it about well prior to that and Robbo had got into good crossing positions twice in the opening couple of minutes. The crosses came to nothing because he cut it back into an area where nobody was. That was a recurring theme throughout the game.
     
    Robbo got lots of crosses in but only one found a team-mate (a lovely cushioned volley to Sadio who should have scored). Is that his fault, or is it a lack of movement from those in the box? It’s probably both, but most of the criticism coming Robbo’s way is over the top for me as West Ham usually had ten players in the box when he was trying to pick out a team-mate. A lot of it just comes down to luck really.
     
    We responded well to the goal though and picked up where we had left off. At least we tried to, but it was very stop start as Ogbonna kept getting injured until he eventually went off with blood pouring from a head wound after a clash with Jota. We had all of the ball and the Hammers were happy to just sit in and didn’t even seem to have any interest in trying to counter attack. Other than looking to get Antonio away down our right hand side they showed no ambition.
     
    The problem was we never really had them stretched at all. They were comfortable in that first half. Maybe it would have been different had Cresswell been sent off, but I found it ironic that Klopp was kicking off about that when al we’ve heard from him all season is how he doesn’t like playing against ten men. He said it after Chelsea. He said it twice after Atletico. He even said it after Pogba saw red when we were 5-0 up.
     
    Now apparently we lost the game because Cresswell wasn’t sent off and because the ref didn’t disallow a perfectly legitimate goal. Fuck me. There have been times when I’ve really wanted Klopp to go after the officials and he’s said fuck all. Then he chooses THIS one to make his stand? Pick your battles better, Jurgen, because you’re on dodgy ground here. We lost this game because we were shite.
     
    Of course Cresswell should have been sent off. That goes without saying really. You can’t tackle like that anymore. It isn’t even a debate. That’s just a definite red card because it ticks every box in what constitutes a sending off nowadays. Excessive force. Out of control. Endangering an opponent.
     
    Doesn’t matter that he won the ball and that he bounced off the top of the ball into Hendo. Pogba did that against Keita and I’m yet to hear anybody say that wasn’t a red card. Not even United fans complained about it. This was a different type of tackle but not THAT different and the outcome was the same. In fact, the outcome here was probably worse. Pogba ended up a little bit over the ball and caught Naby’s shin. Cresswell is miles over it and actually ends up with both feet going into both of Hendo’s knees. 
     
    A still photo can often be misleading but even so, just fucking look at the kip of this…
     

     
    I don’t blame Pawson too much for that as like I said after the Pogba one, refs tend to be cautious on these challenges because they assume that if its a bad one then VAR will flag it up for them. Pawson was probably waiting to see if he had to go to the screen to check it but the useless twat Atwell on VAR said it was fine. Apparently there was not enough force behind it to justify a red. Stupid cunt. Just because he didn’t have a 10 yard run up like Pogba doesn’t mean it wasn’t forceful.
     
    So yeah, I’m annoyed that decision didn’t go the way it should, but the bottom line here is that we went in at half time level at 1-1. From that point we should go on to win the game but we didn’t. Why? Not because Cresswell escaped a red card. Not because West Ham’s opening goal wasn’t disallowed. But because we were fucking shit in that second half.
     
    That’s the thing that bothers me about this game. I don’t give a fuck about the Cresswell decision because we didn’t take care of our own business. If we’d played well and been unlucky then you can point the finger at the officials, but that wasn’t the case.
     
    It isn’t the officials’ fault that from three corners we conceded, two of them ended up in the net and on the other we were saved by the crossbar. It isn’t the officials’ fault that none of Fabinho, Ox or Robbo saw fit to take one for the team and bring down Bowen as he ran at our defence for the second goal. It’s not down the refs that we barely forced Fabianski into any action all day.
     
    For all of the possession we had in the first half we barely threatened their goal and needed a stunning free-kick to get back on terms. I’m not even sure it was a free-kick either as Rice doesn’t make much of a challenge at all on Mo, who looked like he was just very clever in going between two players and then falling down. 
     
    Brilliant strike by Trent and not before time. Full disclosure, I didn’t want him taking that as I thought Mo should have been given a turn. It was fucking superb though wasn’t it? The strike is perfect but the way they shifted it to give Trent a better angle to go around the wall was great too.
     
    So half time its all square and there was no reason to think we wouldn’t go on and win it. The problem was that West Ham seemed to be stung by the goal and in those last few minutes before the break they looked a completely different team. They’d sat in and just defended for the entirety of the half but as soon as we scored they flicked a switch and went toe to toe with us.
     
    Ordinarily I’d be all in favour of that. If you want to open up against us, good luck. Usually that won’t end well for our opponents but Brentford and Brighton both had a go and got some joy. West Ham didn’t exactly do that, as their approach was still centred on set-pieces and counter attacks, but when they got the chance to get men forward on the break they took it.
     
    It was end to end in that second half and the game was in the balance. Maybe if we’d gone 2-1 we’d have won comfortably. The next goal was going to be all important and they got it. Absolutely shite from our point of view as it was self inflicted.
     
    Fabinho - who was off the pace all day - played a silly ball into Mané who had two players right up his arse. He should protect it a bit better. but he was put in a bad spot there by Fabinho. Worse was to follow as Bowen charged through the middle and nobody brought him down. That’s something that annoys the fuck out of me about us. We don’t do that, and it puts us at a disadvantage because all of our opponents do. And rightly so. Someone has to foul Bowen there. 
     
    And then after that Matip goes to the ball instead of staying with the runner. It’s an easy ball for Bowen and Fornals is clean through. It wasn’t a good finish as Alisson was able to get a hand to it, but it found its way in and we were behind. I’m not blaming Alisson for that, I thought he was unlucky and did well to get a hand on it. It could have gone anywhere after that but unfortunately it went in.
     
    2-1 was bad but I still thought we’d come back. When we conceded a third though I knew we were fucked. That goal is criminal though, Yes, Alisson doesn’t cover himself in glory again, but what the fuck are the rest of them doing? Even as they were preparing to take that corner you almost knew what wads coming. Alisson was rattled after the first goal and he was pre-occupied with Antonio. Instead of dealing with the cross he’s worrying about not letting Antonio impede him and he’s too slow getting to the back post. Zouma arrives completely unmarked and just like that, game over.
     
    We pulled one back with a fucking great finish by substitute Origi, and we should have equalised late on only for Sadio to completely fuck up his back post header from a Trent free-kick. So we could have got something from the game and if we had it wouldn’t have been undeserved on the balance of play, but West Ham will feel they were good value for the points because they carried out their gameplay just as they wanted. Keep Salah quiet and take advantage of set-pieces and counter attacks. They did that, so for me they deserved the points more than we did. 
     
    This wasn’t good enough on any level. With and without the ball we weren’t up to scratch and the defending of corners was a fucking embarrassment. Arsenal-like in fact. 
     
    This weakness from high balls and crosses needs stamping out now before it becomes a major problem. Brentford roughed us up with long ball stuff and now we have this. Antonio’s comments afterwards should seriously set alarm bells ringing with the coaching staff.
     
    “Yeah, the whole plan was to stick it on the goalkeeper and just challenge basically. We saw that they’ve struggled with the ball coming in and all we have to do is keep the ball away from Virgil and it worked out for us today. We have to give it to the staff. They have a look at the weaknesses and strengths of what each team come up against and for different games, we cover different strategies. So today was definitely push straight on the ‘keeper and we go and challenge. I saw that no one marks me on the ‘keeper so I’m there to block the ‘keeper to make sure he can’t come out and catch it. We saw what happened today, goals.”
     
    I’ll say it again because it needs repeating. They had three corners. Two of them ended in goals and the third saw Dawson head against the bar. It’s fucking shit and it’s not all down to Alisson either. He needs to do better but he also needed help that he didn’t get. Look at everyone standing still on that third goal. It’s shameful.
     
    And another thing. There was an incident at the end of the first half when Antonio was sent clear behind Matip. Van Dijk should be on the cover but he makes absolutely NO ATTEMPT to get to Antonio or to force him wide. You have to run diagonally to cut off the angle and at least give Antonio something to think about, but instead he jogs in a straight line towards his own goal, basically taking himself out of the play completely. 
     
    Luckily Antonio stood on the ball and Trent was able to get back, but it was so baffling from Virgil that I had to screen record it to show you what I’m talking about. Just look at this, it’s fucking weird….
     
    virgil.mp4
     
    We were virtually unbeatable not so long ago and a big part of that was psychological. Not just our own psychology, but that of the opposition. Everyone was scared of us. It was that Mike Tyson in his prime fear factor where opponents would face us and they’d be like Frank Bruno walking to the ring crossing himself and saying his prayers. 
     
    They knew they couldn’t beat us because there was no real weakness to exploit. Teams were happy to keep the score down and if they got lucky and nicked some kind of a result, they’d thank their lucky stars. None of them really believed they’d get anything though.
     
    Now they are believing. Now they’re thinking things like what Antonio said. They think they can get at us with aerial stuff and with counter attacks. Brighton didn’t take the aerial approach but they clearly had a plan and knew where the spaces were to hurt us. They exposed that area between Trent and the right sided centre back and they got in the spaces between our midfield and defence.
     
    We look vulnerable at the moment and I’m not smart enough to know why that is. I can see the problems but I wouldn’t know how to fix them. Thankfully that isn’t my job. It’s Klopp and his staff that need to sort this out, but it’s also the players. They’re experienced enough to know what they should be doing and the fact is that there have been too many occasions this season they haven’t done it.
     
    Mostly we’ve played well, but it hasn’t been consistent enough and without consistency you can’t win leagues. It’s early days and the damage that has been done so far is still fairly minimal. Chelsea and City will drop points too. They already have, and that will continue, so there’s no need for panic.
     
    There is a need for serious self reflection though because what we’ve seen in the last couple of games isn’t good enough. You can have a Brentford, Brighton or West Ham type day and write it off as just one of those things. You can’t have that kind of day when you’re dropping points in other games. 
     
    We’ve failed to win five of the eleven league games we’ve played this season now and I have to wonder if what we’ve seen the last couple of weeks is a result of them smelling themselves a bit too much after Old Trafford. There was definitely a whiff of complacency about this, which is fucking crazy considering we knew West Ham would go above us with a win.
     
    I hate losing before an international break because now virtually the whole squad will be away with their national sides. Ideally we’d want them here working on defending corners and stopping counter attacks for the next two weeks. In fact I’d have them doing triple fucking sessions.
     
    There’s a danger of over-reacting to what has basically just been two disappointing league results back to back. Up until then everything was going according to plan. Losing at West Ham is something that can happen to anyone as they’re on a great run at the moment. Losing at West Ham after drawing at home to Brighton is where the issue is.
     
    And that’s the thing. You can excuse any one off result, but unless you address it a bad result becomes a bad run and a bad run can ruin your ambitions really quickly.  We went from top of the league to mid-table last season remember. I know there are a lot of extenuating circumstances for that and I’m not comparing that with our current situation. I’m just saying, you can’t keep being careless and making stupid mistakes.
     
    I’m disappointed by the performance at West Ham but I’m not unduly worried about anything big picture wise. Klopp definitely needs to figure out why we’re leaking so many goals and sort that shit out, but I have no reason to think they won’t get it right.
     
    That being said, we’ve got Arsenal next and I’m telling you if we don’t beat them my rage will know no fucking bounds. Very few things are less acceptable to me than not beating Arsenal as they’re a fucking joke. I don’t care that they’ve been on a better run of late, they’re still weak as fuck, both mentally and physically, and if we don’t beat them in two weeks then what the fuck are we even doing here?
     
    Go out and fucking batter Arsenal and get this rig back on the road. We’re the best team in the country so start fucking showing it and don’t be showing opponents any sign of weakness. I don’t want us to concede another goal from a corner for at least six weeks just to fucking nip this in the bud before it becomes a thing.
     
    Star man is no-one as I’m too pissed off to be giving anybody credit. In fact, fuck it, I’ll give it to Origi for his brilliant goal. The rest all must do better.
     
     
    Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson;  Fabinho (Minamino), Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Thiago); Salah, Jota (Origi), Mané:
     
     
     
  • The run is over as we finally lost a game. To David Moyes of all people. Ouch. It was a day to forget as Alisson Becker channeled his inner David James and his team-mates did very little to help him out.
     
    Editor of liverpoolway.co.uk Dave Usher is joined by TLW stalwarts John Gallagher and Stu Montagu to sift through the debris of a disappointing afternoon at both ends of the pitch as the Reds dropped to fourth in table.
     
     
  • Monday Nov 1:
     
    There’s an interview with Suarez on UEFA.com where he spoke about when he TWICE wanted to leave and that Brendan and Stevie talked him out of it. We knew about the Arsenal thing, but turns out he wanted to leave the summer than Kenny was sacked and Brendan had to call him in Uurguay and give him a big sales pitch to get him to stay. Fucking hell, he’d only been here five minutes and he was wanting to go. 
     
    This is arguably worse than him wanting to go to Arsenal that time. Why the fuck did he leave Ajax two join us in the first place if he was going to be wanting to leave a year later? It’s not like he joined a good team and we suddenly went shit. The summer he first wanted out we’d just won one cup and lost in the final of another. And although he was boss, he was nowhere near as good as he ended up a couple of years later. He was too good for us when he eventually did leave. He wasn’t too good for us the other two times though.
     
    He’s gonna do something mental on Wednesday, I can feel it. He’s either banging in a hat-trick or he’s getting sent off for trying to chop Robbo in two.
     
    Also today, Spurs sacked Nuno. What’s that, ten games? What exactly has happened in ten games to make them think any differently about him than they did when they hired him, because this is pretty much what most people expected. He’s a counter attacking manager who doesn’t play good football. This shouldn’t be any great surprise to Spurs. Daniel Levy is a fucking bum. He might be great at refusing to be low balled on players, but he’s shit at everything else.
     
    Tuesday Nov 2:
     
    Simeone says he won’t shake Klopp’s hand after the game tomorrow because he doesn’t believe in it. Apparently it’s a “British thing” and it’s phoney. He’s such a piece of work that fella isn’t he? His dedication to the shithouse craft is admirable though in its own way. 
     
    Klopp says he wasn’t aware of Simeone’s policy on handshakes and if he had been he wouldn’t have approached him for one. Fuck that. If I was Klopp tomorrow night, with about 30 seconds left I’d be going to stand in the tunnel to cut him off. I’d extend my hand, and if he didn’t take it he’d look like a bellend, and if he did I’d do this….
     

     
    Meanwhile, Conte is the new Spurs boss and Newcastle are trying to get Unai Emery. Conte is too good for Spurs but that doesn’t mean he’ll do a good job. He’s going to need money to spend and by all accounts they’re skint. They’ll be better than they have been under Nuno but the best they can hope for is to finish above Arsenal. Right now I wouldn’t even bet on that as Arsenal are getting better.
     
    Emery would be a massive risk for Newcastle at this moment in time. In the summer, sure. But right now they’re in a relegation dogfight. I can’t see Emery coming in and getting them out of the shit, so I absolutely hope this happens. Short of us winning the title or CL, nothing would make me happier this season than Newcastle going down.
     
    Wednesday Nov 3:
     
    L 2 Atletico 0. Well that was a lot less eventful and a lot more routine than I expected. There were no Suarez fireworks, Simeone was subdued and we basically just put them over our knee and spanked them. We’ve thrown away two goal leads a few times this season but even before the sending off I never felt like there was any chance of that. We had the bit between our teeth and it just looked to me like Atletico knew there was nothing they could do about it. Even their shithousing was half arsed.
     
    It was one of those fast starts we often have in these games, when we just blow the opposition away with the speed and intensity of our play. Mo and Sadio were on fire and we had proper quality coming in from the two full backs all night. Trent made two goals but on the other side Kostas put some fucking boss balls in too. The midfield dominated the game and Joel and Virg barely gave Suarez a sniff.
     
    The sending off was hilarious. That was the very definition of ‘what goes around comes around’. All these years of their manager and players acting like twats and showing no respect to officials or the rules of the game. And then one of them is getting a yellow card but it gets upgraded to a red because he acted like a twat with no respect for the officials. Beautiful.
     
    As I said in the report, I was totally fine with the booing of Suarez during the game but I hated it when he was subbed. Proper small time, Soccer AM style shit that was. Like the shouting of “SHOOOOOOOT” whenever Virg or Joel got the ball in their half. It wasn’t a European night atmosphere, it was a bit weird. Presumably because the stakes weren’t so high. We were pretty much through regardless of what happened and because of the lack of any edge maybe it took some of the intensity out of it. Plus the fact the game was so comfortable.
     
    We’ve won the group now because Porto drew in Milan. Hopefully Porto can beat Atletico and nick second, but I can’t see it. We might need to give them a helping hand by losing at Anfield. I don’t think we’ll do that because of the prize money at stake, but one thing we defo should do is give Big Nat a run out in that game because he’s earned that. 
     
    Thursday Nov 4:
     
    Jesus fucking Christ, this Torres love in is nauseating. LFCTV fucking love him don’t they? There’s a big interview with him on there and the club social media have been loving all the behind the scenes stuff with him posing for pictures with Elliott and Kenny. It will never sit well with me how he’s embraced but Owen is virtually black balled. I don’t have any affection for him but I don’t dislike Torres anymore either. This fawning over him and attempts to re-integrate him into the “LFC Family” doesn’t sit right at all. He was here five minutes, he won fuck all and he downed tools before leaving for another English club. All this prodigal son shit is just not right. And what's with his fucking massive neck and shoulders these days? 
     

     
    Meanwhile, there’s a story today that we’re battling United to sign a kid from City who has been labelled the new Phil Foden. He hasn’t signed a contract with them yet and that has put us on alert. Barca want him too apparently, and presumably if he’s that good then every other top club will want him as well. James McAtee. I’ve never heard of him to be honest. He’s 19 so he should be knocking on the for now but he’s only made one sub appearance in the league cup. He’s gonna end up at Dortmund isn’t he? They always do.
     
    I haven’t read much from Stevie Nicol in a while but I stumbled across one of his notoriously flaming hot takes today. Speaking about our current midfield issues he said “100 per cent I would take either Rice or Kalvin Phillips. I’ll tell you what, I’d take Doucoure from Everton.” Rice will cost £80m at least so that’s pie in the sky. Phillips wouldn’t be much cheaper either, but Leeds would not even consider selling him until next summer. And Doucoure?? Fuck me, if he was somebody we wanted (which at one time he apparently was) then we would have signed him when he left Watford. Everton would rather go bankrupt then accept a penny from us for a player so why even mention that? Come on Stevie lad, fucking hell. 
     
    Friday Nov 5:
     
    Still, there are worse takes than Nicol’s. The Spanish press are claiming Klopp wants to sign Eden Hazard. Honestly, this is almost as bad as the Pogba story from last week. I say almost, because at least Hazard can play. But he’s on upward of 400k a week and has a terrible fitness record since leaving Chelsea. And from what I recall he missed a fair bit of time when he was there too. He’s also pushing 30, so this is right up there with the “least FSG signing” you could possibly come up with.
     
    Klopp’s presser was quite interesting today as he singled out Bowen and said “I like him a lot”. We were heavily linked with him over the summer so naturally now people will put two and two together and come up with Bowen in a red shirt. I’d say this makes it much less likely. If he was planning on signing him he’d keep quiet about him, surely?
     
    He also said Bobby’s hamstring is serious and it will be at least four weeks. That means it’s going to be at least six. I’m not too concerned as long as we can get him back to full speed in time for January when we lose Sadio and Mo. Bobby has been contributing a lot so he’ll be missed, yet weirdly I just have this feeling that Divock is going to step up and do something, and I’m also curious to see what Minamino could do in that role when surrounded by the actual senior lads rather than the league cup side.
     
    Today was a good day. It’s very rare an opportunity presents itself when you can use a famous TV or Movie line in normal conversation, but one fell into my lap today. I was on the phone to my mum and she said “Your dad went for his booster jab yesterday but he wasn’t sure it worked as he didn’t feel it. Just a tiny prick” I was in there immediately with “I know he is but he’s still my dad”. Del Boy would be proud.
     
    It reminded me of the time my mate Chris (who hosts the midweek TLW pod) lost his Pulp Fiction themed wallet. He knew he must have left it at the gym so he rang them up and they asked him could he describe it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to put on a Samuel L Jackson voice and say “it’s the one that says Bad Muthafucka” but he shit out and I’ve never let him forget it.
     
    ….and that was the week that was.
  • I’ll kick this off with the mancs, who ran away with the ‘El Sackico’ against Spurs. It’s funny because the first time I heard that expression I thought it was daft because I honestly didn’t think Nuno was actually under that much pressure so early in the season.
     
    Turns out he was. Either that, or losing badly to this United side is seen as a sackable offence all on its own. Daniel Levy should be sacking himself as well as Nuno though as he was the one who hired the fella even though virtually everyone else was thinking “what the fuck is he doing appointing him?”.
     
    Nuno went in there and did what he does. He tried to set Spurs up like Wolves and in time he probably would have done just that. Of course, Wolves were boring as shit and could only really play on the counter attack. And when teams got wise to that, Wolves started to struggle and Nuno was moved on. None of this is a secret though.
     
    So absolutely none of this mess at Tottenham is down to Nuno Holy Spirit. Not even the tiniest bit. He is who he is and nothing he’s done there should have taken anybody by surprise. Levy fucked up and it’s cost him a fortune because not only has he had to pay Nuno off, he’s now had to throw a load of money at Conte to replace him. 
     
    Turns out he’s not the “shrewd businessman” he’s portrayed as. That reputation clearly  isn’t based on business acumen, it’s based on just being a stubborn cunt who won’t budge on transfer fees. The irony is, as each week goes by he probably wishes he’d rinsed Man City out of £140m and got rid of Sir Harold of Hotspur because the fella doesn’t seem to have any motivation left.
     
    For all the (deserved) criticism they've had, United only have to be reasonably well organised and set up tactically to win plenty of games because they will score goals. This was a perfect example of that. They were set up better than they were against us but they were also up against a side not even remotely at our level. Spurs are a bit shit this year and, similar to United, they don’t equal the sum of their parts.
     
    The amusing thing is that because he’s scoring loads of goals Ronaldo is seen as the only thing standing between United and obscurity. The truth is if you took him out of the team they’d be no better or worse. What they’d lose on the swings they’d gain on the roundabouts. 
     
    All that’s happened is Ronaldo is scoring the goals now rather than them being spread around like they were before he came. He hasn’t made them better, he’s just made himself the hero that’s wrongly seen as their 'saviour'. Reminder; they finished second last season and third the season before. Ronaldo isn’t making them better than they were. If anything, he’s making them worse. But he looks like the hero and he’s banging in goals and that’s all that matters, right?
     
    I don’t usually watch their highlights when they win but I did this time. Not sure why, I think it’s mainly because they’re just absolutely no threat to us so there’s no reason to avoid watching them, especially when the mute button means I can avoid having to listen to their fans.
     
    Ronaldo opened the scoring with a brilliant volley. Not spectacular, just clinical as fuck. He then turned provider to send Cavani clear for 2-0. Rashford ran clear to make it 3-0 and the crowd turned on Nuno massively.
     
    You could tell he was toast by that reaction. He subbed Moura and the fans went nuts. When that third goal went in it was proper hostile. He looked a broken man afterwards so there was no real shock when he got his walking papers a day or two later.
     
    Hoijberg’s interview afterwards was a bit cryptic too. He was basically saying how shit they were and that it wasn’t acceptable. He didn’t say why that was but then goes “I better not say anymore”. It felt like he was pointing the finger at the manager without actually pointing the finger at the manager.
     
    I like Nuno. I wouldn’t want to support a team he was in charge of, but he seems like a good guy. He’s made a fortune for a few months’ work so good luck to him. Spurs are a joke, but then other than that spell under Poch they always have been.
     
    Moving on, and Patrick Vieira continues to make me look like a bad knobhead as his Palace team goes from strength to strength. They won at the Etihad this week. Of course that’s nothing knew as good old Roy also had a decent record against City. I don’t know what it is but sometimes you just have teams that for whatever reason you find to be awkward as fuck. For us it’s Brighton, for City it’s Palace.
     
    Granted, the sending off of Laporte didn’t help but Palace were already ahead by that point so it wasn’t that big of a game changer. Palace fully deserved the win.
     
    Zaha was brought back into the side and he put Palace ahead after the busy Gallagher robbed the ball in midfield and sent him clear to finish low past Ederson.
     
    Laporte was sent off in first half stoppage time for hauling down Zaha after he’d been rolled by him. Debatable that one as Cancelo may have been in a covering position. Probably not though as Zaha is quick.
     
    There was a bit of a kick off at half time as the City players all went for Zaha. He’s usually at the centre of anything like that as he’s a fucking hothead, but from what I saw here Zaha was entitled to be pissed off. That rat Bernardo booted him and when he took exception to it, other City players got in his face, including Jesus.
     
    When the half time whistle went Jesus went at Zaha again and others joined in. That whole thing was caused by that Bernardo cunt though. No-one ever seems to talk about what a fucking scumbag he is. He causes murder all the time and nothing ever sticks to him, the little prick.
     
    City created openings, as you’d expect, but Palace did what they did at Anfield. We won that game but I seem to remember them making loads of blocks and producing great bits of last ditch defending. City did think they’d equalised through Jesus but Foden was offside in the build up and it was chalked off.
     
    Palace wrapped it up with a couple of minutes left when Zaha led a counter attack and although the chance looked to have gone, he kept his head and waited for support, and it ended with Gallagher finishing superbly. He’s been brilliant so far this season and Palace are way better than I expected. 
     
    Vieira said afterwards that the sending off helped. “The decisions went in our favour. The offside went in our favour. They had a couple of chances and….” zzzzzzzzz. Sorry, nodded off for a second there. 
     
    Anyway, moving on. I don’t want Chelsea winning games as they’re above us, but honestly, them beating Newcastle didn’t upset me one bit. Firstly because just like last week when they faced Norwich, I didn’t allow myself to entertain even the tiniest possibility they might not win. They were always winning it.
     
    Secondly, any time Newcastle lose from now on is going to be seen as a good thing by me. If they lose every single game they play between now and May then fucking brilliant, sign me up for that right now. They need to go down.
     
    Newcastle kept it goalless until the break but in the end Chelsea won at a canter with goals by James (absolute fucking corker that one), James again (another corker) and then a Jorginho pen. Chelsea’s full backs are going to score more goals this season than Burnley aren’t they?
     
    That jabroni caretaker in charge of Newcastle said he was really pleased with the way they played, even though they only had one shot. If Steve Bruce had said that he’d have been crucified. They’re in a difficult spot currently because it’s going to be hard attracting a top manager and top players there while there’s the chance they’ll go down. That’s why its so important they do go down, just to fuck up their plans for a bit.
     
    Prime target Unai Emery knocked them back this week. It looked like that was going through but then he had a change of heart at the 11th hour. The suggestion is he wants to stay at Villarreal who are in the Champions League. Personally I think he saw the tweets from Geordies referring to him as “Toonai Emery” and he ran a mile. 
     
    The expression I keep hearing is that no-one wants to be their next manager, they want to be the one who comes after the next manager. In other words, they want someone else to do all the hard work and then they’ll come in and spend all the money and get the glory. Also known as “doing a Mourinho”.
     
    Eddie Howe now looks like the last man standing and should be announced soon, which put me in mind of this….
     
     
     
    Leicester lost at home to Arsenal. Not sure what to make of this. Arsenal are on a good run at the moment but it will be a cold day in hell before I acknowledge they are anything other than a fucking disgrace, so I’ll just put this one down to Leicester laying an egg.
     
    Gabriel headed Arsenal in front early from a corner and we then had the obligatory “Arsenal players dancing celebration”. It’s much less of a problem when it’s a) a premier league game, and b) they aren’t bottom of the table.
     
    Smith Rowe made it 2-0 soon after as Leicester were all over the place. That was a terrible goal to give away. I blame that Maddison tit. God I hate him. Others were just as responsible but they don’t look like him so they get a pass from me. Ramsdale referred to him as “Madders” afterwards so he can fuck off too.
     
    Leicester had their moments but Ramsdale was in inspired form and some great saves. Johnny Evans should have been sent off for doing a Laporte. No, I don’t mean he suddenly declared his allegiance to another country because he wasn’t good enough to be picked by his own. No, he hauled down a striker after being rolled. Unlike Laporte though he had nobody coming around on the cover.
     
    Michael Oliver only went with a yellow. Is it me, or has Oliver really fallen off a cliff this season? I don’t think he’s even being given big games anymore. Something’s going on there. Keep an eye on that.
     
    Moving swiftly on, Chris Wood put Burnley ahead at home to Brentford and then Lowton headed in a second. Cornet made it 3-0 (brilliant goal) and then he put one on a plate for Gudmundsson who fluffed his lines. Burnley murdered them in that first half and actually played some good football. The impact Cornet has had on their game is incredible. He looks boss him.
     
    Ghoddos volleyed in to give Brentford a bit of hope late on but Burney saw it out comfortably. Their first home win since January, which is a big surprise as you feel as though home advantage is one of the few things they have going for them. 
     
    Che Adams linked one into the top corner from 18 yards to put the Saints up at Vicarage Road. Lovely goal that. Sarr had one cleared off the line and then Adams headed over from about three yards as chances came at both ends. Armstrong wasted five presentable chances and then the one time he hit the target it was deflected wide.
     
    Watford created very little but almost grabbed a late draw only to be denied by a sensational save by McCarthy. So Watford have lost 5-0 to us and been thoroughly outplayed by struggling Southampton. This begs the question, just how bad must Everton be? We found out on Monday, but I'll get to that.
     
    Onto Sunday first and another win for West Ham. An impressive one too, as Villa Park isn’t an easy place to go and win.
     
    Right back Ben Johnson (who I’d never heard of until now) broke the deadlock early when he cut in and found the bottom corner with a low shot.
     
    Watkins equalised after being well set up by Buendia but Rice fired in from 25 yards to restore the Hammers’ lead and I have to say, he’s now a really fucking good player. I resisted that for a long time as I didn’t see what the hype was all about, but this year he’s been great.
     
    There was a really strange situation when there was a VAR check for two red cards within about a second of each other. Hawes flattened Fornals with a forearm smash and then Konsah hauled down Bowen on the edge of the box. Konsah was sent off but Hawes wasn’t. Of the two, the Hawes one was much worse, not least because there was a covering defender on the Kansas one. Both should have gone though, which would have been hilarious.
     
    Then Fornals and Nakamba went in for a 50-50 and Nakamba rolled, and rolled, and rolled. Basically it was like watching Neymar. Fornals was booked but I’d have sent the Villa man off for making such a show of himself. Fornals had the last laugh when he made it 3-1 to rub salt in the wounds. It got worse for Villa when Bowen finished off a terrific move to make it four.
     
    Villa are not having a great time and there is talk that Dean Smith is under pressure. They spent the Grealish money and on paper it looked like they’d done well. It can take time for it to gel though and I wouldn’t be doing anything too hasty if I were Villa as he’s done a good job there and there aren’t exactly loads of top managers available. You don’t want to end up with Nuno.
     
    Norwich lost again as Leeds picked up a much needed win. They were second best for most of the game but then Raphinha produced a moment of magic to give them the lead. Such a good goal that, his first touch had that stamp of “I’m fucking boss me” all over it. Only really good players make it look that easy. Just looked like Salah or Mahrez the way he took that.
     
    Norwich equalised when Omobamidele headed in from a corner but Kabak lost the ball trying to do a Bergkamp turn 30 yards from goal and Rodrigo won it with a shot that squirmed past Krul, who should have saved it. 
     
    Kabak has actually been better running with the ball than he has defending this season. It’s a shame for him he wasn’t with us a bit longer to be mentored by fellow ex Schalke defender Joel Matip. ‘Big Bird’ has clearly shown him how to dribble but didn’t have enough time to teach him to defend. Basically it’s Empire Strikes Back when Luke has to leave Yoda before he’s completed his training. 
     
    Finally, another loss for Everton as they went down 2-1 at Wolves on Monday. The first thing to say about this is their social media team needs firing for putting THIS out on Monday afternoon….
     

     
    I mean, leaving aside the fact they were setting themselves up for a massive fall, it doesn’t even make sense. If they were playing a team known as Ghosts then sure, Ghostbusters works. But what the fuck have Wolves got to do with Ghostbusters? Where’s the link, what am I missing? 
     
    Are they gonna do this all the time now? God I hope so. Can't wait for "Cockbusters" when they play Spurs. Then there's “Hammerbusters” “Leedsbusters” “Gunnerbusters” “Cheatbusters” (Man City) “Beebusters” “Hornetbusters” Oh wait, they already got stung on that one....
     
    .....oh fuck off, I'd like to see you do better!
     
    I think what annoyed me most about it is they left the little ghost in the logo on the ‘O’. At least make the effort of changing that to a Wolf you fucking lazy bastards. I know the whole idea was shit but it’s even worse if you don’t fully commit to it.
     
    I knew they’d lost this game as soon as I saw that tweet, and sure enough they quickly found themselves 2-0 down as Wolves fucking pulverised them in that first half. It should have been four or five as Everton’s performance was almost as criminal as Calvert-Lewin’s suit on MNF.
     
    Raul Jimenez looks back to his best and he took the piss out of that Everton defence all night. The second half saw Wolves ease off a bit but they still squandered some great opportunities to extend their lead and then ended up hanging on a bit after allowing the dreadful Iwobi to pull one back. 
     
    The last 20 minutes were crying out for Traore to come on and exploit the space Everton were having to leave as they chased an equaliser, but he was left on the bench and Podence came on instead. Traore has really fallen out of favour there. Mo and Sadio are away in January…. just sayin’.
     
    Everton were so fucking bad though. Genuinely awful. Booed off at half time by the away end and the chat on their forums is basically Rafa out (he’s ‘Rafa’ again now that ‘Rafael’ isn’t working out) and give it to Big Dunc. Please God yes.
     
    It’s mad how my reverse jinxing worked last week though. Iwobi scored this week after me saying he’s the worst player in the league, whereas Gray had a stinker after I praised him and produced one of the worst shots you’ll see when he shot 12 yards wide from 12 yards out.
     
    So with that in mind, let’s try it again.
     
    That Everton defence is fucking fantastic and they’ve really impressed me. And Richarlison, he’s some player him isn’t he?
  • One would not be wrong to say that football is quite a popular sport worldwide. In order to make it as a pro footballer while in college can be pretty complicated. If you are passionate about football and you would love to make it as a pro, this article will provide you with ways on being the best and outshining your competition.
     
    Ways to Help You Become a Pro Soccer Player in College
     

     
    As mentioned earlier, football is a trendy sport, and many people pride themselves on being footballers. To get recognized as a pro, you need to put in a lot of work and try and follow some of the tips and skills mentioned below.
     
    Learn the sport inside and out
     
    It would be best to focus on watching football matches and reading books on football tactics and their history. Try and talk to pro footballers whenever you get a chance. Ask them what inspired them and what it takes to make it to the top. This will help you get a better understanding of the sport and how to be a better footballer. You could also visit the web and watch practice sessions. The web could also help you a lot, even in the case of your studies.
     
    One can find the best essay writing services from a web-based rating service like Best Essay Writing Services: A Quick Solution To Your Academic Problems. Here, you can find several services where you can PayforEssay.
     
    Practice regularly
     
    While this might seem quite obvious, this is quite vital in helping you become a pro footballer. Going for practice twice are a week or less isn’t going to cut it. You should try and make it to practice almost every day of the week. If your club offers off-season practice or summer camp practice, you should consider enlisting. This will help you acquire skills and greater exposure to the game.
     
    Set goals for yourself
     
    Setting goals for ourselves almost drives us into achieving what we want earlier than you can even imagine. You can set goals on how much practice you will do, maybe increasing the time each moment you achieve your goal. This will keep you disciplined help you gain the most in your career as a pro footballer. This can work with your academics, too, and if you are too busy, the internet has become a handy tool where you can even buy essay when you don’t have enough time for your assignments.
     
    Get yourself a team or find a football academy to join.
     
    This is important if you want to make it as a pro footballer. You cannot play by yourself, and joining a team with a coach will go a long way to make you a better footballer and successful career. Working with your team will keep you motivated, and you could acquire many other skills. It will also expose you to scouts who can help you join your dream team.
     
    Follow the advice given to you by your coach and teammates closely.
     
    During practice or competitive matches, your coach will give you a set of rules to follow or a role. If you want to make it as a pro, you will have to follow this advice. Sometimes, your teammates can criticize you or give you tips on how to improve your gameplay. You will have to improve your listening skills and try and listen to every piece of advice given to you.
     
    Sticking to healthy dietary habits
     
    What you eat can affect your gameplay. Eating unhealthily can make you gain extra fat, making it impossible to perform well in intense situations during matches or even practice. Eating healthy, on the other hand, can help you play with much more vigour and strength.
     
    Apart from eating healthy and practice, you will also need to exercise regularly. The organized practice you have to go to is not enough for your core strength and fitness. It would help if you also exercised periodically, hit the gym and go on runs. This will help you adapt to the daily routines of practice more manageable. In addition, exercising will give you an edge on and off the pitch.
     
    Find a mentor
     
    This is quite important since it will shape you and make you become a better footballer. This can be someone you look up to in the same field as you. This can be a pro or someone in the local scene. You could also watch interviews of your favourite footballers available on the internet and try and learn from them.
     

     
    As with any other sport, making it as a pro requires a person to have many different attributes. You need to be passionate about the game and be willing to put in a lot of hours to acquire skills that will make you a top player. The above tips are designed to help set you on the right track towards attaining your dream of becoming a top footballer. However, understand that you will have to work hard for it. 
     
    BIO:
     
    Blogging, guest posting, copywriting, ghostwriting, SMM activities, as well as editing and proofreading - these are the areas where Caroline Hudson is considered to be one of the best! With more than 5 years of experience in content writing and marketing, I will gladly help you with any piece of content that you need assistance with.
  • Since January, Thomas Tuchel's influence on Chelsea has been manifested in the most recent Champions League final, when the club defeated Manchester City at Estadio do Dragao.
     
    Following their 3-0 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday, when title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City saw points slip away, Chelsea's odds to win the Premier League have shortened. The final result proved a one-sided affair, with Thomas Tuchel's side in command throughout. Reece James was the star of the show for Chelsea, scoring two goals to help them move three points clear at the top of the table.
     
    Manchester City has won the title in three of the past four seasons, and while they will face considerable opposition, the odds predict they will keep rivals at bay to retain their crown from last season. Despite being inexplicably sluggish, the Citizens had Aymeric Laporte dismissed and lost 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday but Manchester City remain favourites at 5/4.
     
    Given the expense at Chelsea and Manchester United, it's becoming increasingly difficult, but Liverpool is aiming for a return to the top with its squad now back to the level that prevailed in 2019-20. After keeping the league's only perfect start, Liverpool is the third favourite at 11/4 to win the Premier League. Klopp, though, will have been frustrated after allowing a two-goal advantage to slip against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-2 draw.
     
    The list below represents the most up-to-date outright betting odds from SportNation:
     
    Man City: 5/4 Chelsea: 7/4 Liverpool: 11/4 Man United: 33/1 West Ham: 100/1 Arsenal: 100/1 Tottenham: 200/1 Leicester: 250/1 Everton: 250/1 Brighton: 300/1  
    Odds stated from November 1st 2021.
     
    Relegation Battle: Who Is Favourite To Go Down?
     
    Newcastle United are now 11/10 to drop out of the Premier League following their 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at St James' Park on Saturday, extending their run without a win in the competition to ten games. The Magpies have yet to name a new manager, although, with the imminent arrival of Saudi investors, there will be significant investment during the January transfer window.
     
    Norwich City are still odds of 2/17 to be relegated, and the Canaries remain searching for their first victory of the season after suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds United on Sunday.
     
    Watford are the second choice at 20/27 in the betting. Claudio Ranieri's team was unable to continue their 5-2 victory over Everton when they fell to Southampton at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
     
    Burnley are next at 11/10, but they may have been overjoyed to have beaten Brentford on Saturday when Maxwell Cornet's outstanding performance was a highlight in a 3-1 triumph at Turf Moor. Now here are the relegation odds from SportNation, from favourite to most likely to be demoted:
     
    Norwich: 2/17 Watford: 20/27 Burnley: 11/10 Newcastle: 11/10 Leeds: 9/2 Brentford: 13/2 Crystal Palace: 13/2 Southampton: 7/1 Aston Villa: 10/1 Wolves: 14/1  
    Odds stated from November 1st 2021.
     
    Golden Boot: Who Is Favourite To Finish Top Goal Scorer?
     
    Mohamed Salah is still the 5/6 favourite to take home the Premier League Golden Boot. He went scoreless in a Premier League game for the first time this season, but he remains three clear of the pack with 10 goals in as many matches.
     
    After netting his fourth league goal of the campaign against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo is the second favourite to take home the Golden Boot, according to Sport Nation. The strike had a ‘Made in Portugal' stamp and came from Bruno Fernandes crossing for Ronaldo to volley home.
     
    Romelu Lukaku, of Chelsea, is third-favourite at 8/1 with bookmakers, but he hasn't scored in the Premier League since September and is seven behind Salah.
     
    Leicester City's Jamie Vardy (14/1) is within the running, with seven goals and joint-third place in the standings alongside Liverpool's Sadio Mane (18/1), each with six for his team. Other potential market alternatives include West Ham's Antonio (25/1) and Kane (16/1).
     
    Mohamed Salah: 5/6 Cristiano Ronaldo: 11/2 Romelu Lukaku: 8/1 Jamie Vardy: 14/1 Harry Kane: 16/1 Sadio Mane: 18/1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 20/1 Michail Antonio: 25/1 Heung-Min Son: 33/1 Gabriel Jesus: 40/1  
    Odds stated from November 1st 2021.
  • A fourth straight win in the Champions League saw the Reds secure first place in the group and advance to the knock out stages, as early goals from Jota and Mané plus a red card for Atletico's Felipe ensured a stress free night at Anfield.
     
    TLW Editor Dave Usher is joined by Julian Richards to go over all the main talking points from the game, including Trent's continued excellence, the return of the 'comfort blanket' Fabinho and the mixed reception received by Luis Suarez.
     
     
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