Liverpool

Liverpool predicted XI for Norwich FA Cup clash as Reds continue quadruple trophy hunt

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11 months ago

January 28, 2024

Liverpool predicted XI for Norwich FA Cup clash as Reds continue quadruple trophy hunt

Liverpool are in FA Cup action on Sunday as they take on Championship side Norwich City at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp could be set to make changes to his side for the game

Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool’s iwn vs Fulham
Jurgen Klopp has some decisions to make for his side vs Liverpool (Image: Getty Images)
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ByDaniel OrmeFootball Writer
05:15, 28 Jan 2024
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could potentially be set to oversee his final FA Cup game on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds welcome Championship side Norwich City to Anfield on in the fourth round of the competition. Klopp’s side booked their spot after overcoming Premier League rivals Arsenal 2-0 earlier this month – with an own-goal from Jakub Kiwior and a Luis Diaz strike putting them on their way.

Norwich required 180 minutes to find a way past Bristol Rovers. A 1-1 draw at Carrow Road was followed by a 3-1 success for the Canaries in a replay 11 days later.

After already booking their spot in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, Liverpool will be keen to avoid a banana skin as they attempt to reach the last-16 of the FA Cup. Ahead of that game, Klopp – who has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season – has a few decisions to make over his side. Take a look at what side he could field against Norwich:

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Starting in goal, Klopp has a significant decision to make. Regular number one Alisson started in the previous round against Arsenal but Caoimhin Kelleher is the Reds’ cup stopper.

The Republic of Ireland international started against Fulham and should be in line to play against Norwich. The defence in front of him should look slightly different however.

Klopp has already announced that Scottish fullback Andrew Robertson is back in contention after his long lay-off. He was on the bench against Fulham and could be handed a start at the weekend.

Andrew Robertson warms up for Liverpool
Andrew Robertson is back in contention for Liverpool ( Image: Getty Images)
Who should Jurgen Klopp play vs Norwich? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Alongside him, Ibrahima Konate and Jarrell Quansah could assemble a centre-back partnership. The former came off the bench against Fulham, while the latter started at Craven Cottage.

Youngster Conor Bradley might have done enough to earn another opportunity for the Reds. The 20-year-old started both semi-final legs against Fulham. With Trent Alexander-Arnold still making his way back to full fitness, Bradley looks the most likely option.

Moving into midfield, there will be some similarities to the side fielded against Fulham. Summer signings Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister both started and were substituted, which could hint at further starts for the pair against Norwich.

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One alteration could potentially see Curtis Jones drafted back in. He only made a cameo appearance against Fulham having shone in the first-leg. The midfielder then could have another chance to impress against Norwich.

Away from midfield, Harvey Elliott could have a slightly different role. Having played in midfield regularly for Liverpool, Klopp could be tempted to push him slightly further forwards to play on the right-hand side.

After his recent goalscoring form, Diogo Jota should play on the left. The Portuguese has scored and assisted three in as many Premier League appearances so will be a big threat against Norwich. Elsewhere, Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez is also in excellent form so should be afforded a chance to extend that versus the Canaries.

Liverpool predicted XI: Kelleher; Robertson, Quansah, Konate, Bradley; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Elliott, Jota, Nunez.

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Liverpool next manager: Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi coaching background and preferred playing style
The ECHO takes a look at the styles of Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi and what they could bring to Anfield

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ByKeifer MacDonaldNorth West Trends Writer
03:00, 28 JAN 2024
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Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen

For the first time in nine years, Liverpool are searching for a new manager.

It comes after Jurgen Klopp’s shock announcement on Friday morning, in which he revealed he would be stepping down from his managerial post at the end of the season. The 56-year-old admitted he no longer has the energy levels required to license control at Anfield, as well as insisting he’d like to experience a ‘normal life’.

That means for the first time since October 2015, when Brendan Rodgers’ tenure came to an end just hours after a drab 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, Fenway Sports Group chiefs John W. Henry and Tom Werner, as well as President Mike Gordon, will be tasked with appointing a third manager of their near 14-year reign on Merseyside.

READ MORE: Inside the 48 hours that shook Liverpool as clues dropped and Jurgen Klopp staff left gobsmacked

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp hasn’t made same mistake as Alex Ferguson as Liverpool exit announced

As it stands, Xabi Alonso and Roberto de Zerbi are the bookmakers’ favourites to replace Klopp, who has won every top-flight trophy available during his eight-and-a-half years in the dugout, while Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Frank have also been touted as outsiders for the soon-to-be vacant role. Here, the ECHO takes a look at the profiles of Alonso and De Zerbi and what they could bring to Anfield.

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Xabi Alonso – Bayer Leverkusen
Style: Total control

Age: 42

Previous clubs: Real Madrid Academy (2018-2019), Real Sociedad B (2022-present)

If Xabi Alonso had the knack of making professional football look like a stroll in the park, then the same can be said about his start to life in the dugout.

Since obtaining his UEFA Pro Licence back in June 2019 – alongside Esteban Cambiasso, Xavi and Raul, just to name a few of his respected class-mates – the 42-year-old Spaniard has taken a fast track to becoming one of European football’s hottest commodities.

His first role on the touchline came at the academy of former side Real Madrid, where he oversaw the development of the Los Blancos’ under-14s during the 2018-2019 season before returning to boyhood club Real Sociedad to take control of their reserve side.

Almost 20 years after first making headlines in San Sebastian for his promise as a player, Alonso was doing the same in 2021 as a manager, this time while guiding Sociedad’s B team to the Segunda Division for the first time since 1962. But after three seasons spent perfecting his craft in Spain’s lower divisions, he decided to call time on his spell with Real Sociedad and wait patiently for his next opportunity.

That opening would present itself to the 114-cap Spain international in October 2022, with Bayer Leverkusen sitting 17th in the Bundesliga and taking the decision to sack Gerardo Seoane. In confirming Alonso as the club’s new manager, sporting director Simon Rolfes described him as an “intelligent strategist” and “world-class professional” who could bring success to BayArena.

That he has done, and in a phenomenal manner too. In fact, in just shy of 18 months at the club, Alonso has transformed Leverkusen into one of the most exciting young sides in Europe, who are expertly burdening the weight of the club’s 120-year history as they close in on a first-ever Bundesliga title.

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Leverkusen recently moved four points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, playing an expansive, silky style of play that focuses on dominating the ball and playing through the lines.

Lining up in a usual 3-4-2-1 formation, Leverkusen start their build-up play from deep to create overloads in wide areas. Such an approach allows either full-back Jeremie Frimpong or Alejandro Grimaldo to wreak havoc in advanced areas of the field as they provide support to an attacking branch that boasts the talents of Florian Wirtz, Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick and more.

Under the stewardship of Alonso, the 2002 Champions League finalists have earned themselves a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking teams in Germany, with only Bayern Munich totalling more progressive passes and progressive carries this season. They are one of the most exciting too, having scored 50 goals in just 18 Bundesliga matches this season.

Oh, and they are the only team in Europe’s top-five leagues not to suffer defeat in any of their games this season, with their current record standing at a remarkable 24 wins and three losses from their outings across the Bundesliga, Europa League and DFB-Pokal this season.

Roberto de Zerbi – Brighton & Hove Albion
Style: Patient possession

Age: 44

Previous clubs: Darfo Boario (2013-2014), Foggia (2014-2016), Palermo (2016), Benevento (2017-2018), Sassuolo (2018-2021), Shakhtar Donetsk (2021-2022), Brighton & Hove Albion (2022-present)

Looking back, there’s a sense of irony that Liverpool were the first Premier League opponents to sit up and take note of what Roberto De Zerbi was capable of building at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Not long after Italian had been instilled as the Seagulls’ answer to Graham Potter’s departure – his first game, in fact – was he enjoying a dazzling start to the Premier League as he watched his new side race into a two-goal lead at Anfield courtesy of Leandro Trossard.

Although Liverpool salvaged a 3-3 draw on that particular afternoon at Anfield, for De Zerbi, it’s fair to say his time in the English game so far has largely been that of an upward trajectory. The 44-year-old, who made his name managing in Italy’s lower divisions before an impressive spell at Sassuolo and briefly at Shakhtar Donetsk, has taken the Seagulls to new heights in the post-Potter era, overseeing a first top-six finish in the Premier League and an FA Cup semi-final during his first months on the South Coast.

Similarly to Alonso, how De Zerbi has achieved his breathtaking success has been remarkable, with the bravery with which he implements his style of play recently being applauded by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Lining up in a 4-2-3-1, the Italian’s philosophy centres around both the goalkeeper’s and defenders’ ability to play out from the back, with current Brighton No.1 Jason Steele at times acting as a third centre-back in the early stages of build-up play. A typical De Zerbi side looks to play short, patient passes and entices the opposition into pressing carelessly. From there, in Brighton’s case, they will look to exploit the gaps behind the midfield and defence with the pace of Kaoru Mitoma.

Indeed, De Zerbi’s style is not too dissimilar from that of Jurgen Klopp, with Brighton becoming a possession-orientated team since his arrival last season. However, it is not just on the field that the two share similarities, with former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana drawing comparisons between his current and former manager.

“My relationship with Roberto is like he’s an older sibling, an older brother I’ve never had,” Lallana told the Daily Mail in September 2023. “He’s demanding as hell, but I just always want to impress him and make sure he’s not disappointed in me. His demands are extremely high. As demanding as Jurgen [Klopp], I’d say, but in a different way.”

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Dallas Cowboys make baffling decision regarding head coach Mike McCarthy
The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back Mike McCarthy for the 2024 NFL Season.

By Lou Scataglia | Jan 18, 2024

NFC Wild Card Playoffs – Green Bay Packers v Dallas Cowboys / Cooper Neill/GettyImages
News recently broke that Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy would return for the 2024 NFL Season. This is a truly baffling decision. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That applies to every avenue of life, including sports. After three-straight years of winning 12 games in the regular season and showing poor playoff performances, the Cowboys are somehow still sticking with Mike McCarthy in 2024.

The Cowboys have not advanced past the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs since the mid-90s, before some of you were even born, including myself. Every year that the Cowboys make the postseason, the jokes start about how they won’t do well, and that was the case this year, as the upstart Green Bay Packers walked into Jerry World and dismantled the talented Cowboys.

And after yet another disappointing postseason exit in the Mike McCarthy tenure, Jerry Jones is still going to bring him back in 2024. When you look at McCarthy as a regular season head coach, he boasts a very strong record. He’s gone 42-25 in the regular season with the Cowboys, which is one of the best records in the NFL over the last four seasons. Heck, he is average 10.5 wins per season.

However, the Cowboys are 1-3 in the postseason under McCarthy, clearing hitting a ceiling when the playoffs begin. And each year, their exit from the postseason is the same type of ugly, disappointing performance. In the NFL, teams will not win Super Bowls without taking HUGE risks to some degree.

There are a ton of examples of this in recent memory. The Buffalo Bills made it to the postseason in 2017 with Tyrod Taylor as the starting QB. They rightly recognized that Taylor was not going to lead them to a Super Bowl, so they took a risk in drafting Josh Allen in 2018. The Kansas City Chiefs went 50-26 during the Alex Smith era, but it became clear that Smith was not quite good enough to lead KC to a Super Bowl, so they moved on from him for Patrick Mahomes.

The Denver Broncos went 46-18 when John Fox was their head coach during the 2012-2014 seasons. However, a 3-4 playoff record was simply not good enough, so they moved on from Fox and won a Super Bowl in the next season with Gary Kubiak as the head coach. The Dallas Cowboys have clearly hit a ceiling with their own head coach, and bringing him back for yet another season is truly insane.

And this is especially true when you look at guys like Mike Vrabel and Bill Belichick being free agents. Both Vrabel and Belichick would have been upgrades over McCarthy and have shown, in their own ways, the ability to win tough games with their respective rosters. I think if Jerry Jones was serious about winning, he would have parted ways with McCarthy and shot for the moon for a potential upgrade at head coach.

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OPINIONMohamed Salah injury provides Liverpool’s biggest question since Jurgen Klopp change
Mohamed Salah’s injury provided the latest scare for Liverpool after he was forced off for Egypt against Ghana but the concern provided a reminder to the Reds strikeforce

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ByStephen Killen
06:20, 19 JAN 2024
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Liverpool star Mohamed Salah suffered a suspected muscle injury during Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations clash with Ghana. (Image: Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

The live pictures of Mohamed Salah down on his haunches delivered a brutal gut punch that Liverpool supporters will have felt 4,980 miles away.

International breaks and injuries are three words which have repeatedly come to haunt the Reds under Jurgen Klopp. While the extent of the issue is unknown, star man Salah could become the latest unwanted statistic of players who have succumbed to injury while with their national teams.

“So ‘good luck, see you and come back healthy’. That’s pretty much the words,” was the tongue-in-cheek response from the Liverpool manager on his parting words to Salah and Wataru Endo ahead of their respective Africa Cup of Nations and Asia Cup exploits. Now the medical team at the AXA Training Centre anxiously await the report from the Ivory Coast on the fitness of their talisman.

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah injury latest as Egypt boss provides update on Liverpool star

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Facetious as it may have been, the feeling was replicated by those associated with Anfield. And the fears flooded in as Ahmed Hegazi received the captain’s armband from Salah before the 31-year-old left the field of play at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium grimacing.

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Eighteen days ago, Salah departed for the Ivory Coast on a high after scoring twice in the dominant 4-2 win over Newcastle United. The triumph ensured that they remained top of the table, extending their lead to three points.

From then, the onus was placed on those deputising in his place as the baton of responsibility was handed down to Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. Harvey Elliott could also be afforded with the opportunity to stake his claim as a right-wing option in Salah’s absence.

Liverpool had been bracing for the departure of their 204-goal icon. While Salah has been stepping up his preparations with Rui Vitoria’s side, it has been so far so good for the Reds – a win in the FA Cup over Arsenal, followed up by a comeback triumph against Fulham to hold a first-leg advantage ahead of their Carabao Cup showdown at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.

There are trickier tests to come with a trip to AFC Bournemouth up next before Chelsea, Arsenal and Burnley follow in the Premier League. Notwithstanding any injury, Liverpool were prepared for Salah to lead Egypt throughout the tournament as they looked to atone for their Africa Cup of Nations final disappointment from two years prior.

A lot of talk surrounding Liverpool this season has been around Klopp’s excitement over ‘Liverpool 2.0’. A new, reinvented Liverpool, spearheaded by the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Endo and Ryan Gravenberch to provide energy into a previously ageing midfield.

Salah was a key cog of that and was the difference in a strong start to the campaign. Questions around the Reds midfield have surrounded Anfield for many years, but the same scrutiny has never faced the strikeforce with the Egyptian in it.

Liverpool have once again been purring. Thanks to the ever-reliable Alisson Becker plus the surge back to form from Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the newest heroes in Curtis Jones and Szoboszlai.

Now poses a real test of quality for the remaining front five, undoubtedly one of the most feared on their day alongside Salah. They were more than aware of the pressure that was to come at the turn of the year, with Salah jetting off West Africa, and whether they could carry the torch in his absence, inspiring Liverpool in the blood-and-thunder title race.

While concern looms, Vitoria spoke of his quiet optimism over the severity of Salah’s suspected hamstring injury. He said: “I hope not (a big problem). We don’t know yet what the problem is. I hope it’s not a big problem but it was a problem in the first-half.

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“It was difficult timing for us because in the second half, we could only make two substitutions. But now, I don’t know. It’s early to see something, I think it’s not dangerous but let’s see if Salah recovers.”

Liverpool would have been expecting Salah to return to the fold for the trip to Brentford on February 17. Now, as the wait for concrete information on his issue continues, the worry will grow.

In the meantime, Liverpool’s remaining strikeforce has increased pressure on its biggest challenge to date: to prove their match-winning capabilities in the Egyptians’ absence – possibly beyond the initial timeframe.

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Liverpool predicted XI for Norwich FA Cup clash as Reds continue quadruple trophy hunt

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Liverpool predicted XI for Norwich FA Cup clash as Reds continue quadruple trophy hunt

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