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Keeping hold of Daniel Sturridge could end up being vital in Liverpool’s title race this season.

What’s the word?

It would have been no surprise to anyone had Daniel Sturridge left Anfield in the summer.

The striker had dropped so far down the pecking order that he ended up joining West Bromwich Albion on loan for the second half of the 2017/18 season.

Unfortunately for the England international, he suffered an injury early on and had a relatively unsuccessful period at The Hawthorns.

Many assumed that the 29-year-old would push for a move elsewhere, but he remained on Merseyside after impressing Jurgen Klopp in pre-season.

How will both parties benefit?

Sturridge – valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt – would have known before the campaign began that he would be required to play a bit-part role.

The striker moved ahead of Divock Origi in the pecking order, but he will not dislodge the starting positions of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

However, Klopp has already indicated that Sturridge can be a key man to come off the bench.

On Sunday, the former Manchester City attacker joined in the action at Stamford Bridge as a late substitute and scored a sublime 89th-minute goal to earn a 1-1 draw for the Reds against Chelsea.

If Liverpool remain in the title race, then Sturridge could end up scoring some crucial goals throughout their campaign.

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Newcastle United’s season has hardly gotten off to the ideal start this term, with off field issues once again dominating.

On the field, things haven’t been much better either, with the Magpies yet to register a win in their opening seven games of the campaign.

Manager Rafa Benitez will be desperate to see some changes within his squad and off the field, and he will be holding out hope that something can be sorted out which will allow him the money and time to go out in January and make some signings who can really improve his squad.

One man we think would be a superb addition for Benitez if not the most glamorous one, is the signing of West Brom striker Jay Rodriguez.

The £10.8m-rated forward has got off to a blistering start to the season for high flying West Brom, firing in seven goals already for Darren Moore’s men, further underlining his and his team’s credentials.

Rodriguez is a proven Premier League player, and is someone who could slot straight into the thick of things at St James’ Park, rather than needing a settling in period of sorts. The former Southampton man was once regarded as one of the top talents in the country, and there is little doubting that he has the ability to go on and have an excellent career in the top flight.

Newcastle quite simply need new players and improvement, and Rodriguez fits that mould. He would certainly prove to be an excellent addition to the cause for Benitez.

Newcastle fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Liverpool have blown teams away over the past few seasons with their pace and attacking flair.

However, on Wednesday night Jurgen Klopp’s team looked a shadow of themselves as they tried to dig out a result in Naples.

It was an ugly, disjointed affair across the board, with Liverpool’s star trio Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane failing to perform.

It looked as though the Reds were going to grind out a goalless draw with Napoli, but they ended up returning to Merseyside with nothing after Lorenzo Insigne netted in the 90th minute.

Given the calibre of opposition, losing to the Serie A giants is no big shock, but the performance of Klopp’s men has raised some concern.

Liverpool will be taking on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, and if they want to extend their unbeaten run in the top flight they will have to put in a very different display.

On Reddit, some fans played down the result against Napoli, while others laid into the performance and tactics.

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West Ham United fans have shown mixed reactions to rumours that striker Andy Carroll has a two-year contract option as part of his deal that is due to run out at the end of the season.

Carroll has, once again, been struggling with injury this term having missed the last few months of last season due an ankle injury which he had an operation on during the summer.

That put him out of action for another three months and he has yet to feature under new manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The former Newcastle United and Liverpool man is now in his sixth season as a West Ham player but the club’s fans have a split opinion on whether he still has a lot to offer due to his injury lay-offs.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions by Hammers fans:

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Tottenham Hotspur have been named amongst four English clubs chasing the services of Jamaican talent Alex Marshall by TeamTalk.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham have been uninspiring at certain stages this season and a lack of depth has become clear following Champions League defeats to Barcelona and Inter Milan, along with numerous injury concerns.

After not signing a single player during the summer, Spurs’ stance is likely to change in January and TeamTalk names the Lilywhites alongside West Ham, Liverpool and Aston Villa in the hunt for Jamaican talent Alex Marshall.

Capped seven times by the Caribbean nation, 20-year-old Marshall has been likened to Manchester City star Raheem Sterling, also born in Jamaica, and a stern battle for his services could lie ahead in the New Year.

A decent addition?

While Tottenham’s first-choice line-up largely continues to select itself, the lack of depth in North London has become a real problem and Spurs could find it difficult when the financial implications of their imminent stadium switch appear.

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Signing an inexpensive talent like Marshall could prove to be a masterstroke from Pochettino as a result and Spurs have a history of making signings like this pay off, having enjoyed the success of Dele Alli’s rise after he arrived from MK Dons.

Marshall would not secure immediate first-team football in the Premier League but Pochettino’s dedication to young talent could prove to be extremely beneficial in the long run, as Marshall is a signing that could save Spurs millions in the seasons to come.

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Leeds fans have long suspected they need a few extra additions in January to help their promotion push, and it looks like they might get a real coup in the shape of Ibai Gomez.

What’s the story?

According to GOAL.com, Marcelo Bielsa is keen on a move for Gomez, whom he worked with during his time in charge of Athletic Bilbao.

The report claims the Whites actually tired to sign Gomez this summer, and are now confident that they can agree a deal in January.

The Alaves winger has scored three times in nine La Liga games this season, and could be the perfect player to complement Pablo Hernandez on the opposite flank.

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Perfect for Bielsa’s Leeds?

Hernandez showed exactly why Leeds were missing him so badly on Wednesday night, completely running the show against Ipswich. Much like Hernandez, Gomez is a winger who loves creating goals just as much as he loves scoring them, and the pair could form a devastating duo in support of Kemar Roofe.

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Gomez was a crucial part of Bielsa’s Bilbao team in 2012, scoring two European goals on the way to the Europa League final, where they lost to Atletico Madrid.

He can play anywhere across the attack but is most comfortable on the right flank, where his crossing, vision and technique allow him to create tons of chances for his forwards.

The Spaniard is basically like Samuel Saiz with proven better end product, and Roofe and Hernandez will absolutely love playing with the 28-year-old. This is a deal that Bielsa and Andrea Radrizzani should absolutely push over the line in January.

So, Leeds fans, would you back a move for Gomez? What other positions do you need to strengthen? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

According to The Express, Leeds defender Pontus Jansson has highlighted what distinguishes this season’s Leeds team from previous ones. 

The Sweden international mentioned the work ethic that manager Marcelo Bielsa has installed in the team since taking over in the summer.

Writing on Twitter, the centre-back talked about a break by Wigan forward Josh Windass from a corner in their recent match, whereby a number of players were able to track back and prevent the player getting a shot off, with Jansson putting in the challenge.

The Swede said that previous Leeds teams and players would not have had the will or desire to work their way back, but under Bielsa it is the opposite. The Argentine has created a culture where anyone that doesn’t work back will be questioned by their teammates.

This is a clear indication of the hunger and drive that the players have, which they may have lacked in previous seasons. These are the characteristics that define a league winning side, and have been inculcated into The Whites by Bielsa.

Jansson has been a standout player for Leeds since joining 2016, and has been a favourite under the new manager. This is probably because the defender’s attitude typifies the approach that Bielsa expects from his players, and which, in all fairness, they are showing so far this season.

Leeds returned to the top of the Championship table with Sunday’s win against The Latics, nudging ahead of Norwich on goal difference. With this attitude that Jansson describes, there is no telling how far this team can go.

Aston Villa picked up a crucial three points last night as they saw off Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park to give Dean Smith’s men a much needed boost.

Goals from two of their key performers in Jack Grealish and James Chester saw the Villans home, and it could prove to be a big three points for the Midlanders, who have so far this season fell well short of the expectations placed upon them at the start of the campaign.

However, the Championship as we all know is one of the most up and down and toughest leagues in the world, and anything can happen, which means Villa won’t be counting themselves out of a run at promotion any time soon.

With that in mind, we at the Tavern had a look at TWO things that Villa must ensure they do if they are to challenge for promotion this season…

Keep Grealish beyond January

He might have signed a new deal in the summer, but that won’t stop the Premier League vultures from circling in the January window.

Grealish is key if Villa are to have any success, with his creativity, atttitude, and general match winning abilities something which many teams in the Championship simply do not have.

Back Smith to the hilt

When getting rid of Steve Bruce, Villa were making a statement that they were ready for something new and big change could be afoot.

With new owners in place, and manager Dean Smith now firmly in the hot seat, it is vital the former Brentford and Walsall man is backed by his board.

New signings will be a must in January, and it would be little surprise to see Smith raid his old club for a few quality additions.

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Bournemouth fans have reacted excitedly on Twitter after hearing news of Callum Wilson’s maiden call-up to the England squad, and you can’t say the forward doesn’t deserve it.

The Cherries’ star man has started the season on fire, smashing in seven goals in just 11 starts whilst also setting up another four goals for his teammates in black and red.

Wilson has only ever represented his country once, receiving a single cap for the England Under-21 side. Fans of Eddie Howe’s side have been crying out for their number 13 to receive the call from Gareth Southgate for some time now; what does seem certain is that it would’ve come a lot sooner were it not for the striker’s troublesome injuries.

Naturally, after hearing the news, the South Coast side’s supporters reacted in jubilation as they became aware that the wider footballing world would be able to witness the rapid forward’s talents.

Let’s take a look at some of the best tweets…

According to Turkish outlet Webaslan, via The Daily Record, former Celtic striker John Guidetti is keen on a return to Celtic Park. 

The Sweden striker played in Glasgow during the 2014/15 season on loan from Man City, but is currently at La Liga high-flyers Alavés. However, he is out of favour at the club, and wants a move away, with Galatasaray interested. But the 25-cap international would prefer a move back to Celtic.

Now, it is no secret that Brendan Rodgers wants to bolster his squad in the coming transfer windows, and it is also widely speculated that Chief Executive Peter Lawwell and the Celtic board may give the Northern Irishman the funds he needs to compete amongst the higher echelons in Europe. With that, Celtic do look as though they need reinforcements up front, with only Edsonne Edouard showing any encouraging form this term. However, Guidetti is not the man for Celtic.

While the striker had a respectable season in 2015/16 for Spanish outfit Celta Vigo, scoring 12 goals in all competitions, he has since then struggled for form. He has only managed seven league goals in two and a half seasons split between Celta Vigo and Alavés. While he also had a moderate season at Celtic when he was there, managing 12 goals and six assists in all competitions, that is almost too far in the past to seem relevant. His recent history suggests he is not a man in form, or not the player he was, hence why he is struggling for game time this season and wants a move away.

If Celtic want to be more successful in Europe, they now need to aim higher than the likes of Guidetti.