Klopp’s ‘confession’ confusion; Wan-Bissaka’s weird weakness

Matt Stead

Mersey loves company
Question: Are Liverpool ‘alarm bells’ still ‘ringing’ after Jurgen Klopp’s ‘confession’?

Answer: Nope.

 

Wan to watch
The Sun quite justifiably blow their own trumpet over their exclusive interview with Ashley Cole on Friday. It occupies a double-page spread as soon as you open the sports section of the newspaper.

The former Chelsea defender discusses England’s current full-back options. He loves Ben Chilwell and wants Frank Lampard to sign him. He is less convinced by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Reece James.

Duncan Wright asked him ‘what they need to do to step up to world-class level’:

“I would say learn to defend, though obviously football is changing. My worry when I watch full-backs these days is they canter back because they don’t have to sprint. They have midfielders who do that. But when they get exposed to the international stage where they have to defend one-on-one, in extra-time or whatever it is. I feel a bit we are falling short as we are neglecting the real defensive work. The likes of Robertson, Trent, Wan-Bissaka and Reece at times – they are changing the way football is with how dynamic they are to get up and down, to not be in positions where they are exposed.”

He’s not done.

“For me they are not tested enough to see how good they actually are. You talk about defenders, and what they are doing is a prime example of how the modern full-back plays. You would say they have to learn how to defend, though it’s just the way football is now. They just have that licence to attack.”

Still not finished?

“When you go on the international stage and it’s not 38 games in a season, and you just have to sit and defend, sometimes that’s where you see the problems. And again, maybe they are not exposed to being one-on-one enough. Whether that’s in training or week in, week out playing in the Premier League. Players have to be a little bit careful they don’t only pay attention to half their job. Their job is to attack, but also defend.”

Has Ashley Cole ever watched Aaron Wan-Bissaka actually play? He seemed to fare alright against Raheem Sterling at the weekend.

The Sun even handily include a graphic that shows Wan-Bissaka has made 62 tackles this season to Chilwell’s 18. The Manchester United right-back has his weaknesses; defending one-on-one is irrefutably not among them.

 

Slam Dunc
Neil Ashton has ‘THE INSIDE TRACK ON FOOTBALL’S BIG STORIES’. He has his ear to the ground, his finger on the pulse. He just knows, you know?

And he dedicates most of his weekly Sun column to explaining what Duncan Ferguson must do ‘if he wants the job permanently’ at Everton.

In no particular order, he ‘must have a masterplan’. He ‘must convince the board and director of football Marcel Brands that he has the skill set for the job’. He ‘must show other qualities’ (Mediawatch’s favourite vague managerial platitude).

He also has to show ‘tactical expertise and acumen, with the ability to act decisively under pressure’ – ‘and that also means flexibility with formations and making bold, match-winning or game-changing substitutions at vital times’.

Oh, and he ‘needs to come up with alternatives, putting a system in place to take EVerton wherever it is they think they should be going’.

Simple.

If only he had read Phil Kirkbride’s update in the Liverpool Echo on Wednesday morning:

‘Ferguson has made it clear he does not want the job permanently and the 47-year-old is not thought to be under consideration.’

It seems ‘THE INSIDE TRACK’ managed to miss that.

 

Fergusons of anarchy
Andy Dunn, on the other hand, thinks Ferguson has already done enough to ‘get a crack’ at the job. After one game as *a* manager, not just as Everton’s manager.

Why? Because ‘it is already clear, from one game against a team that will play in the last 16 of the Champions League, he is an inspirational figure to both players and supporters’.

Give him a ten-year contract.

‘Tainted by the fact he has served in unsuccessful regimes? No.’

Well if that’s the only criteria, consider Mediawatch a candidate.

Pray tell, Britain’s best Sports Writer: what are Ferguson’s best coaching traits?

‘Keep it simple, play to strengths, fire them up, pummel into them what it should mean to represent an institution that was a People’s Club long before Moyes’ soundbite.’

And that is perfect for one game in front of a revitalised home crowd against an elite but callow side. What if they lose to Manchester United on Sunday? Would he still be ‘an inspirational figure’ who will ‘play to strengths’?

‘There does not have to be any commitment beyond the short term nor any guarantees or hasty appointment like Sunday’s opponents, Manchester United.’

So you’re actually telling Everton to do precisely what they’re already doing in keeping Ferguson in the interim while identifying a permanent successor? They’ll surely appreciate the advice.

 

Christmas cracker
‘GUARDIOLA BANS XMAS’ screams the headline in the Daily Mail. Jack Gaughan is here to tell us that ‘Pep Guardiola cancelled Christmas for his Manchester City stars by banning them from attending the club’s festive bash last night’.

It is a story echoed elsewhere:

‘Pep Guardiola cancelled Christmas for his Manchester City stars by banning them from attending the club’s festive bash on Thursday night’ – MailOnline.

‘Pep Guardiola cancelled Christmas for Manchester City’s first-team stars as they were reportedly banned from attending the club’s festive party’ – Daily Mirror.

‘Manchester City’s first-team players have been told not to attend their Christmas bash on Friday night by manager Pep Guardiola’ – Daily Express.

‘Manchester City players will be forced to miss the club’s Christmas Party in a bid to ensure they are in peak condition for the busy festive period’ – Goal.com.

‘Guardiola carried out his threat to rip up Christmas party plans – in a bid to avoid another festive slump’ – The Sun.

Simple. Guardiola ‘cancelled’ Christmas. He ‘banned’ his players from attending their festive party. He carried out a ‘threat’ he made last year.

Except, well…allow James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph to explain:

‘It prompted Guardiola to hold a meeting with his coaching staff early this year, during which it was decided that restrictions would be imposed on how late the players could stay out next time around.​

‘But there was no need to impose a curfew in the end on Thursday night since it is understood the squad missed the party in order to ensure they were in peak condition for training ahead of a crucial run of games.​’

tl;dr: Guardiola imposed a curfew, but the players themselves decided not to attend altogether. Still, he’s a bloody scrooge.

 

Accidental Partridge in a pear tree

It’s so awkward you can almost *taste* it.

 

Recommended reading of the day
Sid Lowe talks to Roberto Soldado.

Jack Pitt-Brooke on Brendan Rodgers.

Rob Dawson on Manchester United’s academy.