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Liverpool misfired as they drew 0-0 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday.

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all missed glaring chances at Anfield as the fabled Reds trio failed to lay a glove on Bayern.

Their poor collective performance means that the Reds will have to turn in a brilliant display in Germany if they are to reach the quarter-finals.

The performance of Mane, in particular, was atypically woeful. The Senegal international has been in electric form this season – scoring 13 goals in 32 games in all competitions. But he looked a shadow of that player against the Bundesliga giants, missing three glaring opportunities, including one horribly sliced effort that did not trouble Manuel Neuer despite him being unmarked in the penalty area.

Salah was quiet, his big opportunity coming in the 15th minute, as he prodded a weak volley into the arms of Bayern’s goalkeeper, while Firmino really did little of note.

It is okay when one of those players fails to perform because the expectation is that another will step up and grab the game by the scruff of the neck. When the entire trio flops, however, there is really nothing Liverpool can do about it.

Of course, Jurgen Klopp could have introduced Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss winger who has shown flashes of brilliance this season. He has scored six goals in the Premier League but there was no trust placed in him by his manager on Tuesday evening.

Divock Origi, who has scored one goal in five Premier League games, was introduced for Firmino instead on the 75th minute.

The lack of depth is astounding for a team fighting on two fronts.

Liverpool want to win both the Premier League and the Champions League and they have the chance to do both. They are level on points with Manchester City domestically and they are hardly out of this tie against Bayern.

But if an injury should befall that trio, they are surely in trouble.

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Sporting Director Michael Edwards is regularly cited as a major reason behind the Reds’ success in the transfer market, with the signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson helping to craft the team into winners.

But he has failed to add genuine depth to the club’s attack. Of course, the club must be commended for bringing in Mane, Salah and Firmino and for helping them forge a genuinely frightening partnership.

But the reserves are not up to scratch. Take a look across Europe at the top sides and there is always an option from the bench. City cannot decide between Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus up front. Barcelona have both Philippe Coutinho, formerly of the Reds, and Ousmane Dembele battling for the role on the left flank. Alexis Sanchez cannot get into the Manchester United team. Tottenham Hotspur have not lost a single Premier League game during the last month, with both Harry Kane and Dele Alli injured.

Liverpool cannot boast that same breadth of quality.

Introducing one of Origi, Shaqiri or Daniel Sturridge into that front three for Liverpool diminishes its threat significantly, and it appears to be the one thing that Edwards has failed Klopp on.

Of course, it is remarkably difficult to convince a player to join a team and make do with being a substitute but there are surely better options out there than the ones currently on the Anfield bench.

As the season progresses, fatigue will take hold. Liverpool just have to pray that their fabled front three stay fit and do not undergo another collective dip in form that seemed to grip them against Bayern.

Otherwise, Klopp’s dreams of tasting glory both at home and abroad could start to fall apart, through no fault of his own.

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Everton’s pursuit of Thomas Meunier has been dealt a hammer-blow this week, with the Belgian expressing his happiness at current club PSG. Back t0 the drawing board for the Toffees, then, who are in desperate need of a new right-back to replace the waning Seamus Coleman.

What’s the word?

Well, speaking to French publication Le Parisien (via Le 10Sport), the defender said:

“I’m happy here, I love the city and the club.

“Is there anything about my situation in Paris? It’s football. I still have a contract until 2020.

“I am delighted here, I really love the city and the club. Probabilities, at the beginning of my career, were 0.0001% that I play one day for PSG. I have no reason to complain in reality.”

The 27-year-old has been in and out of the side this season as he vies for a starting berth with Dani Alves, although he knows that this is the reality when you are playing for one of Europe’s top clubs:

“I have play time, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. You have to take life philosophically. What happens to me here is simply unexpected.”

The 36-cap international was linked with a move to Goodison Park in the final days of the January transfer window but a move never materialised and it now doesn’t look likely in the summer either.

Back to square one for the Toffees

Despite an active summer transfer window in which Everton revamped their defence as Marco Silva took the helm – the Goodison Park outfit brought in Kurt Zouma, Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne to name but a few – the Toffees are still struggling at the back.

Having been a faithful servant to the Merseyside outfit over the years, Coleman deserves to be a regular starter but, unfortunately for the Irishman, he has fallen off this season and is no longer capable of getting up and down the right flank in the ways he used to.

At 30, the former Cork City man is far from the high-tempo, flying full-back he established himself as being in recent years and it is no wonder that Everton were seemingly keen to find a long-term replacement.

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Meunier’s physicality and Champions League experience would have undoubtedly been massive assets for Everton but it would seem that they will have to move onto other targets now.

However, the 6-foot-3 behemoth would surely have set Everton far further back than a club in their position should be spending on a right-back when Leicester were able to sign Ricardo Pereira for just £19.8m in the summer. There are surely better value options for Marcel Brands and co to explore so perhaps this failed move is a blessing in disguise.

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Roma are reportedly looking to sell one of their key players in Cengiz Under this summer for a fee of around £50m, which will be of interest to Arsenal who have been keeping tabs on his situation according to Corriere dello Sport.

What’s the word, then?

The Turkish international has been in excellent form for the Serie A side so far this season, scoring six goals and recording six assists in all competitions.

Previously, the Gunners had a bid rejected for the 21-year-old back in January which was swiftly rejected, but their hopes of landing him in the summer have been handed a boost with the Italians looking to cash in on him in order to raise funds.

Under is one of Europe’s best young players. Since making his debut last season following Mohamed Salah’s departure, he has scored on his European debut – becoming the youngest Turk to net in the Champions League – and has already earned ten caps for his country.

Comparing Under to other potential Ozil replacements?

It is no secret that there is something odd going on between Ozil and Gunners boss Unai Emery. The Spaniard has left the German out of a lot of his matchday squads this season, and has told the 30-year-old that he needs to be ‘consistent in training and for matches, without injury or being sick.’

One would presume that Ozil may be set to leave in the summer, and Arsenal have already been linked with a few names who could come in and replace him such as James Rodriguez, Houssem Aouar and Under.

Ozil is unique in the way that he operates in between the line of midfield and attack, but the aforementioned trio arguably have more strings to their bow.

Aouar is starring for Lyon in a holding midfield role, whilst he has also played in a left-forward role, left-midfield and attacking-midfield – his form has even drawn rave reviews from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

In that respect, the Frenchman may even be a better option than Ozil, and a better purchase than Rodriguez or Under as they are arguably more restricted in their roles – Aouar is also just 20, so he has all the time in the world on his side.

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Liverpool’s Under-23 side suffered a 2-0 defeat to their Everton counterparts on Monday night.

Nathan Broadhead scored both goals for the Toffees, who earned the bragging rights in the mini-derby at Anfield.

The hosts entered the match having not lost since November, but were second best to their bitter rivals on the night.

The contest came little over 24 hours after the two first teams locked horns.

Indeed, Everton held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon, which meant that Jurgen Klopp’s side were unable to return to the top of the Premier League table ahead of Manchester City.

Following the Under-23 defeat on Monday, a number of Liverpool fans took to social media to react.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

There were some who seemed genuinely disappointed with the mini-derby result, but others responded sarcastically to the two-goal loss at Anfield.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the supporters can be seen below:

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Aston Villa fans have taken to Twitter to praise their ex-manager Paul Lambert after his Ipswich side were able to do them a favour last night.

The Tractor Boys, who are bottom of the Championship, held Villa’s play-off rivals Bristol City to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday evening, a result which brought great joy to supporters of the Villans.

After the game they were in fine voice, thanking Lambert for his efforts in helping Villa with their promotion push. In a series of comical tweets, they labelled the 49-year-old a hero and called him an agent, suggesting he had been sent specifically by Villa to help them out.

The Robins’ result last night also drew a certain Villa fan to believe that if they can’t beat a team rock bottom of the league, then they don’t stand a chance of getting in their way.

A win for the Midlands club on Wednesday when they face Nottingham Forest would see them move to within a point of Bristol City who currently occupy the final play-off place.

Ipswich had initially gone 1-0 down courtesy of Adam Webster but grabbed an equaliser through an own goal from Lloyd Kelly.

Here’s what the Villa fans had to say.

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been reacting to the first half of their FA Cup affair with Wolves, and they’re really not happy with Chris Smalling.

The first half of Manchester United’s trip to Molienux was an extremely cagey affair, with very few chances either way.

The Red Devils had a rather ambitious penalty shout when Jonny blocked a long-range effort with his arm, and the home side wanted a spot kick of their own when Willy Boly was brought down at a set piece.

Wolves had the one big chance of the half though, and it all came from a Smalling mistake.

The 29 year-old failed to control a ball in the middle of the pitch, which allowed Diogo Jota to race through on goal, but Sergio Romero was on hand to deny the Portuguese winger.

The England international has improved massively since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over, but time and time again he makes silly mistakes that cost his side.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Chris…

It goes without saying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has completely revolutionised Manchester United since being appointed in December. However, last weekend showed that it’s still not quite the finished article under the Norwegian. 

After what was an out of sorts performance from the Red Devils, Solskjaer now has some huge decisions to make towards the end of the season. With only the Champions League and a top four spot left to fight for, the 46-year-old knows that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to get Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League.

No United fan enjoys seeing Liverpool and Manchester City fighting for the title, after all…

With that in mind, here we are going to take a look at a couple of demands the Norwegian must make during the summer to truly eclipse the work of Sir Alex.

Get that long-term contract signed

Without question, every single Manchester United fan wants to hear the news that Ole Gunnar has signed a long term contract with the club. He would surely be United’s most important signing since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, there’s no doubt about it.

Solskjaer must ensure that he is the man to get the contract from Ed Woodward at the end of the season. The current caretaker manager has done more than enough in the eyes of world football to get the job and could help set the club up for the good times again.

 Keep the ‘keeper 

There was a brief spell during this season where three or four players signed a new contract with the club. Worryingly, David De Gea was not one of them, though the club did use their option to extend his contract by a year. Still, with his contract running out at the end of next season, it is imperative that Ole can convince the world’s greatest goalkeeper to stay in between the sticks at Old Trafford.

It goes without saying that a lot of the success that can be brought back to United does rest on the shoulders of De Gea. Indeed, it will be near on impossible to replace the Spanish #1 should he decide to play elsewhere.

It is not often that you see two goalkeepers fighting for one position continuously throughout a season.

Yet at Southampton, this has been the case as both Alex McCarthy and Angus Gunn have featured in the Premier League for the club with both delivering impressive individual performances.

However, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side facing a major battle to stay in the top flight over the next eight games, it is surely time to stop rotating the goalkeeping position and back one man to help the Saints survive.

The player in question has to be Angus Gunn. An England under-21 international, the shot-stopper enjoyed a stand-out campaign for Norwich City last season whilst on loan from Manchester City, which attracted the interest of former Southampton boss Mark Hughes.

Signed for a fee reported to be in the region of £13.5m (according to the BBC) last July, the keeper had to play second fiddle to McCarthy in the league until January 2nd where he made his top-flight debut against Chelsea. Delivering a superb performance at Stamford Bridge, Gunn ensured that his side would secure a priceless point on their travels after initially being written off by many before the game.

However, despite his heroics, McCarthy reclaimed his position for the next five games in the Premier League yet it soon became clear that Hasenhuttl had made a mistake as the replacement ‘keeper failed to keep a single clean sheet during this period. Gunn, therefore, returned to the starting eleven for the Saints’ trip to Arsenal and has since featured in the club’s last four games, his best run of appearances since joining in the summer.

A talented player who is still at the very beginnings of his career at the age of 23, it surely is time for his Austrian boss to back him to help secure Premier League football for next year, especially when you consider the money that Southampton forked out to bring him to St Mary’s.

A continued rotation of the squad could do more harm than good to the Saints’ chances of avoiding the dreaded drop and so Hasenhuttl needs to either back one player or the other until the end of the season.

What do you think Southampton fans? Should Gunn keep his place in the Southampton side? Or should McCarthy replace him? Let us know below.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in demanding fashion, with many questioning Jurgen Klopp’s judgement in starting Jordan Henderson over Fabinho.

The Brazilian international changed the game when he came on in the 76th minute, winning twice as many aerial duels as Henderson did throughout his entire time on the pitch, whilst he was also pivotal in breaking down Spurs’ attacks with some vital interventions.

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Fabinho has started just 17 Premier League games out of a possible 32 for the Reds this season as Klopp opts to rotate his side in order to contend with domestic and European football, but it is criminal to leave the 25-year-old out when he is clearly so effective at what he does.

Henderson – Klopp’s skipper – doesn’t offer as much as Fabinho, and fans have been quick to pick up on this dilemma despite the Reds’ last-gasp win over Tottenham.

Let’s see what the fans have been saying on Twitter about Fabinho’s exclusion…

The imminent real return of Jack Clarke couldn’t have come at a better time for Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United given the tight run-in they will have before the season ends in May. 

Obviously, Clarke missed more than a month’s action due to health complications after he was substituted at halftime during the Whites’ match with Middlesbrough early in February. And, given how influential and resilient he’s been the whole season, prior to the health issue, Bielsa and Leeds fans would’ve been very happy to see him back on the pitch in the club’s previous two matches.

The 18-year-old got a little more than ten minutes against Sheffield United just before the international break, but on Saturday the manager brought him on in place of defender Pontus Jansson in the 67th minute of the match against Millwall.

The pressure Leeds applied in those final 20 minutes of the match was relentless and Clarke looked lively and keen to move forward with the ball as he has done so often this season for Leeds. His ability to run at opposition defenders with speed and skill has been brilliant and he is also an excellent passer of the ball.

The decision to bring him on in place of a defender was definitely due to the fact that the Whites were 2-1 behind at that stage. That’s the kind of ambitious thinking required at this stage of what could be Leeds’ most famous campaign in modern history, throwing caution to the wind.

But, wave after wave of Leeds attack eventually took its toll on the Millwall defenders with Luke Ayling and Pablo Hernandez scoring, much to the delight of the fans at Elland Road.

Bielsa, though, will have to be careful in how he uses Clarke for the remainder of the season.

The winger has, however, been very influential coming off the bench this season and it could be the perfect way to get him back into the thick of things for the remaining matches.

Leeds will need every bit of firepower they can get to earn promotion to the Premier League for next season and having an energetic young player like Clarke on their bench to make a proper impact will definitely increase their chances of playing top-flight football again.

It’s time to get excited.

Leeds fans, how big of a role do you think Jack Clarke will play in the final few games of the season? Join the discussion by commenting below…