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Liverpool have taken to social media to wish Xherdan Shaqiri happy birthday, and many fans have used the occasion to voice their views on the player.

As well as sending well wishes, many have made it clear that they believe he should be starting more often, and have bemoaned the lack of game time he is getting currently.

Since joining the Reds in summer 2018 the Switzerland international has only started 15 games, and this season he has seen his opportunities stifled with only 14 minutes played in 2019/20, excluding the Community Shield.

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On the one hand, his limited time on the pitch is understandable given the form of Liverpool’s front three, but he has proved his quality since joining the club and supporters feel he is not getting a fair crack of the whip.

In a red shirt he averaged a goal or assist every 112 minutes last term, a good return for a player who often comes on late in games, whilst his double at home to Manchester United last season played a big hand in his team leading the table at Christmas.

Here is some of the reaction from the Anfield faithful on Twitter.

[ad_pod ]Some Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they think James McArthur’s absence from the starting XI played a part in the humiliating 4-0 loss to Tottenham on Saturday.The Scotland international had started every single one of the Eagles’ Premier League fixtures before the visit to Spurs, which he missed due to an injury, and his teammates didn’t have the best of times without him.

Roy Hodgson’s men found themselves 4-0 down before the end of the first half after goals from Heung-min Son and Erik Lamela, as well as an own goal for Patrick van Aanholt.

Whilst it is easy to say that McArthur was missed due to the result, his tireless running and energy in the middle of the park does often go unnoticed – any side would miss a player who does so much work for the team.

Let’s see what the Palace fans on Twitter have been saying about his absence…

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سجل فريق فولهام الهدف الأول في مباراته أمام ليفربول في الجولة السابعة والعشرين من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2020/2021.

ويحتضن ملعب “أنفيلد” المباراة بين ليفربول وفولهام، بدون حضور الجماهير تحت قيادة الحكم، كيفن فريند.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كلوب يعلن سبب إجراء 7 تغييرات في تشكيل ليفربول أمام فولهام

وجاء الهدف بعد خطأ ساذج من مهاجم ليفربول ومنتخب مصر، محمد صلاح، الذي فشل في التحكم في الكرة على حدود منطقة جزاء الريدز.

واستغل لاعب وسط فولهام، ماريو ليمنيا، خطأ محمد صلاح وخطف الكرة وسجل هدف فريقه الأول قبل نهاية الشوط الأول.

شاهد هدف فولهام الأول في مرمى ليفربول

[ad_pod ]Rangers fans loved the performance of enigmatic striker Alfredo Morelos on Thursday night, as he grabbed his fifth goal of the season against FC Midtjylland.Morelos started the scoring in an incredible 4-2 win over the Danes, giving Steven Gerrard’s men the upper hand in making the final round of Europa League qualifying.The Colombian’s header was followed up by goals from Joe Aribo and Nikola Katic, before two quickfire Midtjylland strikes gave the Gers something to worry about.Nerves were settled for the second leg though as Scott Arfield secured an impressive 4-2 win, leaving a monumental task for the Danes at Ibrox.Despite speculation of a bid from West Brom, Morelos looked unfazed as he played a key role in the victory. The 23-year-old is adored by the Ibrox faithful and displays like last night’s only endear him further to the fans.Not only did he score, but he is also played a part in two other goals, once again highlighting just how crucial he is for Gerrard’s team.Here’s what the fans had to say about him after the match on Twitter…

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

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Rangers midfielder Gavin Rae has given his verdict on the speculation surrounding the futures of James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos.

What’s he said?

Both club captain Tavernier and top scorer Morelos have been linked with moves away from Ibrox this summer.

Football Insider claim as many as ten clubs are interested in the goal-scoring defender’s services. Similarly, the Colombian has been a man in-demand this summer, with Hebei China Fortune the latest club to register an interest in the 30-goal striker, according to Sky Sports.

The ex-Ger was emphatic in his statements on the important duo: “I think you have to keep him [Morelos] unless you have someone else to replicate his goals – yes he had his discipline problems last season but he scores goals for fun and it is difficult to buy someone to do that in the market.

“I would definitely keep him [Tavernier], he is an integral part of the team, scoring and assisting so many goals last season – also being captain he is someone Gerrard trusts so he would be tough to replace.”

The integral duo

Rae is right on both the full-back and the striker – the two must be held onto this summer, and are perhaps the most pivotal players in the entire squad.

In a dressing room featuring Allan McGregor, 107-cap Steve Davis and Scott Arfield, it’s no token gesture to be the captain of the club and Tavernier certainly thrives in his role as a leader.

Moreover, the defender was an integral part of the Rangers side last year, producing a phenomenal return from right-back. The ex-Newcastle youngster scored 17 times and assisted a further 20 in his 57 appearances for Gerrard last term. That’s a return that the majority of attacking players in Scotland would struggle to replicate, let alone a full-back.

One player in Scotland who did match that return was Morelos, scoring 30 times and setting up 11 in his 48 outings in a Light Blue jersey.

The sheer amount of goals didn’t happen by accident though, as Gerrard’s 4-3-3 formation means the lone striker has an enormous responsibility, and the 23-year-old duly repaid his manager’s faith and scored a bucket-load. Therefore, being forced to scramble about for an adequate replacement would be nigh on impossible.

That’s a whopping 78 goal contributions for Gerrard and director of football Mark Allen to replace if they were to cash-in on their star duo. While the money would likely be good, Rae’s verdict is spot on – what those two bring to the club would take a lot more than cash to replace.

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

Leicester are reportedly closing in on a £40m deal to bring back Youri Tielemans to the King Power according to The Telegraph.

What’s the word?

Up until now, Leicester’s transfer window had been fairly quiet, but they’ve now sparked into life.

Last week they added defender James Justin to their ranks whilst they’re also reportedly set to sign Ayoze Perez from Newcastle.

However, they could be on the verge of bringing back one of their star men from the second half of 2018/19.

The Telegraph suggest that Brendan Rodgers is finally closing in on a deal to bring 23-cap Tielemans to the King Power with a £40m fee potentially being paid to Monaco in order to land the young Monaco man.

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Game-changing for Leicester

Leicester haven’t been near the top-six since they remarkably won the league in 2015/16. However, by bringing back Tielemans, they could well find themselves challenging for European football once again.

When the Belgian arrived last term, he helped to revitalise the football club alongside Rodgers.

In ten games he played under the Northern Irishman, he lost just three times with one of those defeats coming against the might of Manchester City.

When Claude Puel was in charge, Leicester had struggled and sat 12th on 32 points after a 4-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

Yet, under their new manager, they rallied and picked up another 20 points, finishing ninth and five points behind Wolves.

The latter would ultimately go onto claim a spot in Europe but by landing Tielemans, a player who was easily one of the best creative outlets in the league when he arrived, he could help them launch an assault on the top seven.

Could Daniel Sturridge be set to reunite with Brendan Rodgers? Check out the video below to find out…

This is a player who scored three goals and claimed four assists in just 13 appearances for the Foxes, appearing to be one of the few missing pieces of the jigsaw.

Leicester had capable scorers and creative outlets in Jamie Vardy and James Maddison who contributed to goals 36 between them.

But they were missing someone who could really drive the team forward from deep.

Their midfield was one dimensional with Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy but Tielemans offered a different option that took the Foxes to the next level. He ended the season as their fourth-best player in terms of goal involvements despite only being there for half the season.

If he can sustain the same consistency as he showed during his loan spell, he could well lead a charge towards European football for Leicester if he signs permanently.

Southampton have started the transfer window with a bang following their £15m capture of Moussa Djenepo from Standard Liege.

The 21-year-old has since been speaking about his move to St. Mary’s, explaining what he will bring to the team, which should excite both Ralph Hasenhuttl and supporters.

“I’m quick and I enjoy dribbling with the ball. That’s what the fans can expect of me and I will give my all for them,” Djenepo told Southampton’s official club website.

Ultimately, that style of play looks ideal for what Hasenhuttl has been trying to implement on the south coast.

Since succeeding Mark Hughes as manager last December, the former RB Leipzig boss has moulded the Saints into a side who press high (the club’s official website took a closer look at this) and are dangerous on the counter-attack, as indicated by James Ward-Prowse’s comments on that tactical as per Sport Bible. That is why Djenepo, with the pace and dribbling he has spoken about, should fit in nicely.

Alongside the versatile Redmond, the duo could form quite the attack. The 25-year-old, who is also no slouch, averaged 2.4 dribbles per Premier League game last season, while Djenepo averaged 2.2 in the Europa League.

To put that into perspective, only Wilfried Zaha (3.4) and Eden Hazard (3.7), arguably the two best 1v1 wingers England has seen over the last few years, averaged more (as per WhoScored).

If Hasenhuttl is looking to make Southampton more dangerous out wide and on the break, with Djenepo to now go with Redmond, he might accomplish just that after one summer transfer window.

Southampton fans, feeling excited? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Aston Villa return to the Premier League this season hoping to put on a show and firmly cement their place back among English football’s elite.

Dean Smith did a grand job of leading the Villans back to the big time with a play-off final win over Derby County, and now, backed by rich owners and Premier League money, Smith will be hoping to bring in some quality to ensure his team stay up.

This weekend then has seen the club linked with a move for Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu, and here in the Tavern, we think this would be one of the shrewdest moves Villa could make this summer.

Ampadu has had his fair share of game time for the Blues and has impressed when given the chance, but despite being a regular in the Welsh squad, there has to be an element to consider where it might be time for Ampadu to get some regular first-team football as he looks to develop.

Villa will be looking for players who can slot in across various positions too as Smith looks to maximise the potential of signings he makes, and Ampadu fits right into that mould being comfortable both in the middle of the park and in defence.

Ampadu is highly thought of for a reason at Stamford Bridge, and while he will eventually become a star for Chelsea, a season with a club that holds the stature of Villa could be the perfect move all around.

The youngster is one of those players who is calm on the ball beyond his years, and with a season under his belt of regular football in the system Smith likes to employ, it could well set him up nicely to make a place in the Chelsea XI his own in the coming years.

Since Ralph Hasenhuttl took the reins at Southampton, there have been many success stories at St. Mary’s.

And none arguably bigger than that of the emergence of Yan Valery, who has only gone from strength to strength following his debut in Mark Hughes’ final game in charge against Manchester United last December.

A former Southampton captain is now tipping the 20-year-old to become one of the best in his position in the Premier League.

“He reminds me of Kyle Walker and the best full-backs in the Premier League, who are now more offensive,” Jason Dodd told the Daily Echo. “They’re good at going forward and bombing on – and he’s got that in abundance. He’s got a great shot on him and is quick. He’s performing really well and deserves the plaudits he’s getting.

“He’s got all the credentials you need,” the ex-Saints skipper later added.

Indeed, going forward, Valery has shown his quality, even managing to grab a couple of goals in the process, including a wonderful strike against Manchester United in a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

If he can continue to improve defensively, something which Hasenhuttl believes he is already doing, then the French youngster could go on to become one of the leading right-backs in the division.

As Dodd has pointed out, Valery looks as if he has all of the tools and now just needs to strike that perfect balance between defence and attack.

Southampton fans, how impressed have you been with Valery this season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

[ad_pod ]Harry Maguire has had an excellent couple of seasons since joining Leicester and he’s quickly become one of the most highly rated defenders in the Premier League.As a result, he’s now reportedly taken the interest of Manchester City who could hijack Manchester United’s plans to sign the 26-year-old, per The Daily Mail.Traditionally, football fans would be concerned about losing one of their star players. However, that isn’t the case with a selection of Leicester supporters who, bearing in mind a potential £75m price tag,Âwere keen to see him leave.Reacting to the news on Twitter, one fan said he’d drive Maguire to City himself, claiming it would fund most of the Foxes’ summer spending.Two further supporters chose to focus on the fact that Leicester had plenty of cover for the centre-back, hinting Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu could come into the team as replacements.Maguire was exceptional for England at the World Cup last summer but his performance levels dropped slightly during the course of the 2018/19 campaign.

In total, he played in 31 Premier League matches this term.

Here’s the best of the debate.