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After 30 years of ups and downs, nearly’s and maybe’s – Liverpool have finally achieved their long-awaited desire to win the Premier League title.

It is safe to say the Red’s did it in style as well, winning the trophy with a staggering 18 point lead over second-place Manchester City – but what happened in that time for the club to achieve such an impossible feat? From incredible goals to surprise standouts, we’ll be looking at the highlights of Klopp’s team this season, from their player of the season to the defining moment, all the way down to their signing of the season.

This campaign has been jam-packed with high’s and low’s, and even a three-month sabbatical due to COVID-19, but this didn’t stop one of the clubs best seasons in their history. Now sit down and enjoy, as we give Liverpool’s title-winning campaign a FootballFanCast review for the ages…

Player of the Season – Sadio Mané

The Senegalese starlet has been incredible since joining the club in 2016, and marked the beginning of Klopp’s tenure at the club, having developed into one of the best players in the world.

With 18 goals and 7 assists this season, Mané has been incredibly important in Liverpool’s surge for the title, coming up with some important goals in the clubs run.

It would be easy to nominate Mohamed Salah or Jordan Henderson as Liverpool’s player of the season, but Mané has proven this year he is just as important as any in this Liverpool team.

Goal of the Season – Mo Salah vs Newcastle, Nov 10th ’19

With 85 incredible goals to choose from this season, it has proved difficult to name just one as the Reds’ goal of the season – but these decisions have to be made, and Mo Salah’s effort against Newcastle at home back in November has just nipped it for me.

Fabinho’s pass to Salah, who plays it into Firmino – in which the Brazilian shows of his samba and produces one of the most tantalising flicks you’ll ever see in a 1-2 back to the Egyptian, who drives forward into the box and makes the most acute finish across Dubravka into the bottom right corner.

Simply put, wow.

Breakthrough Player – Curtis Jones

This seemed an easy decision overall. The young scouser has been introduced to the best team in the league, and it was obvious that an opportunity to play was going to be difficult given the caliber of players at Liverpool’s disposal.

Despite this, Jones has proven he is a talented young player, and many Reds fans will be willing him on to become an important part of the team in years to come.

With a cracking goal against rivals Everton in the FA Cup in January, as well as scoring his first Premier League goal vs Aston Villa at the beginning of July – Jones has proven to be the club’s breakthrough player of this campaign.

Flop of the Season – Divock Origi

Before we break this one down, it is key to point out that not really any of the players at Liverpool have been a flop this season given it has been their best ever in the club’s history, totaling a club record 99 points and winning their first league title in 30 years – but a decision has to be made, and given the Belgian producing some big goals in big games, he’s been rather poor overall.

With just 4 goals in 28 league appearances, Origi has never quite met the expectations that many fans have expected of him, hence his inclusion as the club’s flop of the season.

Defining Moment – 2-1 win vs Aston Villa, Nov 2nd ’19

Liverpool’s comeback against the Villans back in November of last year proved Klopp’s men meant business, and their fight for the title was far from over.

The win saw the Reds move to six points clear from second place Man City after just 11 games, and in previous seasons Liverpool probably would have gone on to lose games such as that, but this season was different. The squad had a hunger and desire, having cruelly missed out on the title last season by one point.

This late comeback showed a side to Klopp’s team that proved they were destined to win the title this year and was my defining moment for the club this campaign.

Signing of the Season – Adrian

There had been a lack of arrivals at the beginning of the season for Liverpool, with just Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg looking like the only signings during the summer transfer window – this was until the departure of Simon Mignolet at the beginning of August, which saw the former West Ham goalkeeper join the Reds on a free transfer.

The Spaniard’s arrival proved to be as important as any, with Alisson coming off in Liverpool’s first game of the season after just 40 minutes against Norwich – which saw Adrian go on to play the next seven league games, winning all seven and keeping two clean sheets.

Hit Expectations? YES

Overall, Klopp and his players have been astronomical this season, and have more than hit any expectations of themselves this season.

It was clear that the club’s aim was to win the title this year, but they went above and beyond in the way in which they did so.

An 18 point lead with 99 points in total, winning 32 out of their 38 league games, winning the title with seven games still to play – the city of Liverpool will forever be indebted to the German and what he has done for the club, and all eyes will be looking toward next season, and the clubs attempt at retaining the coveted Premier League title.

Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has urged Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho to make a decision on Japhet Tanganga’s place in the first-team.

What did he say?

Tanganga has been one of the break-out stars of the season for Spurs, making 11 appearances for the senior side, including starting and completing the full 90 minutes against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the Premier League.

However, the England U20 international has been used in a variety of positions across the defence, and Gold has urged Mourinho to decide just where his long-term future lies.

He said: “The youngest of Tottenham’s centre-backs can play on the left of the central pairing and has the pace most of his team-mates in the role lack. Mourinho must decide whether the time is right to make Tanganga a mainstay of that defence rather simply a plaster to fix other roles that aren’t his specialty.

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“It could be time to shake up a misfiring back-line with the young centre-back. Tanganga could also help dictate Mourinho’s transfer policy during a window that will see little money available and only the priority positions fixed. This is going to be a transfer window like no other after an unusual season and at a time when Mourinho needs to create a defence to match those he has had in the past, Tanganga might just hold the key for him and Spurs.”

New era

With Jan Vertonghen looking set to leave the club when his contract expires, and Spurs having the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League’s top ten with 40 goals conceded, a shake-up where the back-line is built around Tanganga could transform the north Londoners.

At just 21, Tanganga can still be moulded in a top-class central defender by Mourinho, and as Gold alludes to, has the kind of pace that others in the squad don’t have.

His versatility has almost been to his detriment, being shifted around and being asked to play in unfamiliar roles. Settling on one position will only help in making sure he begins to develop the positional side of the game much quicker, and become a more dominant defender sooner than expected.

Liverpool fans can only be cursing their bad luck that a worldwide pandemic would come when their first league title in 30 years was all but inevitable.

The Reds are currently top of the Premier League table by a huge 25 points – the biggest such margin in the division’s history. That means they are just six points and two wins away from confirming their status as champions – yet the current situation has thrown that into doubt.

There may be some good news for match-going fans, at least. On Monday, the Anfield outfit announced that season ticket renewals have been suspended, and that the price for tickets next season will be frozen. They have also said that if the games need to be played behind closed doors, all tickets will be refunded.

It seems the supporters are very happy with this update. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think in the comments?

Leeds United fans on Twitter have been heaping praise upon Ryan Edmondson after he scored again for the U23 side on Monday afternoon.

The Whites’ U23 outfit fired back after their 7-1 loss to Derby County last week in impressive fashion as they beat their Yorkshire rivals Barnsley 2-0, and it was Edmondson who opened the scoring for the youth side.

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The striker netted 20 goals last term, and he’s carried his form into this campaign.

These impressive performances have understandably led to a number of supporters calling for him to get a chance in the first-team.

United haven’t been brilliant in front of goal this season as the xG table shows that they should have scored at least nine goals more than they already have this term.

It’s clear to see that Edmondson’s finishing ability could help the first team, and fans have been full of praise for the teenager after he netted against Barnsley.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on social media.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Bromwich Albion return to league action this weekend as they host Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon.

The Championship has been off for two weeks due to the international break but now it’s back as we enter a very hectic festive period, where Slaven Bilic’s men will be looking to enter the New Year still atop the league’s summit.

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This weekend presents a very difficult test for a couple of reasons, the Owls are chasing promotion too even despite their EFL charge, and the Baggies will be without two of their most influential players – captain Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers.

Both will serve a one-match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards this season, leaving the Croatian chief with a tough decision on who will replace them.

On the Chalkboard

Sawyers, who returned to his boyhood club in the summer, has played every single minute of every single Championship game this campaign so his presence is sure to be harshly felt considering the Midlands club have lost just once to date.

This is reinforced when delving into his numbers for the season – the 28-year-old has a 91.8% passing accuracy rate while averaging a huge 69.9 passes per game, which is the most of any non-defender in the division, via WhoScored.

The midfield department at the Hawthorns is probably the weakest of all positions, but there is one man, in particular, that is an ideal like-for-like replacement, at least for this sole game.

Filip Krovinovic is usually a number ten, but having lost his place to Matheus Pereira, he may find life as a number eight in the engine room of midfield.

He certainly possesses similar qualities having joined on loan from Primeira Liga giants Benfica – across his career to date, the Croatian playmaker averages a passing success rate of 88.1%, which stands him in good stead for this role.

The Express & Star claim the 24-year-old stunned during pre-season with an impressive range of passing while his manager believes he has the ability to get supporters off their seats.

This certainly the £4.5m-rated midfielder (Transfermarkt valuation) seem like the perfect replacement for a short-term fix, and who knows, if he impresses, then he could well regain his starting spot back.

He’ll be hungry to do so.

Crystal Palace have seen some incredible talent come through their ranks over the years with the likes of Jon Bostock and Victor Moses springing to mind and although the latter is only one that has come close to fulfilling their undoubted potential; neither have the mercurial talents of Wilfried Zaha.

Despite a brief stint at Manchester United, Zaha has been Palace’s best player for the past decade without question and every transfer window he is subject to multiple transfer bids. None of them ever meet Steve Parish’s asking price; therefore the Ivory Coast international forever remains at Selhurst Park.

So how much do Palace fans know about Wilfried Zaha’s career at Palace? This will test even the most knowledgeable of supporters.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Back in the glory days under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, Southampton were a well-oiled attacking machine with some star names terrifying the opposition on a weekly basis.

The St Mary’s faithful were treated to the likes of Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Graziano Pelle and others, all of whom have since moved on to pastures new.

Nowadays, the Saints are a stale outfit in terms of their attacking ability.

Under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, Southampton have scored the third-least goals in the Premier League with just ten in 11 games.

This is partly down to the former RB Leipzig boss being too defensive with his team selections, opting for a five-man or three-man backline with wing-backs on eight occasions so far this term, in systems that can only accommodate two forwards when combined with playing three central midfielders.

So, how can the Austrian make his side more expansive going forward? Here are two ways…

Switch to 4-3-3

Looking at this lineup on paper, you would struggle to see this XI suffer relegation.

Hasenhuttl has actually used a 4-3-3 system once in the league this season – in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea – although he quickly threw that idea in the bin and hasn’t revisited it since, which was perhaps a hasty decision given the Blues’ quality.

With Moussa Djenepo, Danny Ings and either Nathan Redmond or Sofiane Boufal in attack, as well as a midfield three of Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, there is a decent blend of defensive awareness and attacking inventiveness throughout the six of them.

Trust the 4-2-2-2

The 4-2-2-2 formation is something that Hasenhuttl has used on four occasions this season, with his side winning two and drawing one of those matches.

Transfermarkt states that it is the Austrian’s preferred formation, so why doesn’t he just stick with it?

Of course, it would need one minor tweak as James Ward-Prowse – a man who we detailed as potentially being a casualty of the system – lacks the pace required to play on the right wing, but other than that, Hasenhuttl should place his trust in this formation.

Strangely, he hasn’t used it since the 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth – the only loss suffered using this system so far this season.

Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their desire to see Idrissa Gana Gueye back at Goodison Park. This comes after the former Everton man sent a heartfelt message to Andre Gomes after his injury against Tottenham Hotspur.

Gueye left Merseyside for Paris Saint-Germain for £30m in the summer and his absence has been felt ever since. The Senegal international was a huge fan favourite whilst he was at Everton, becoming one of the club’s most crucial players.

His average of 4.3 tackles and 2.2 interceptions last Premier League season has been a big miss in Marco Silva’s midfield. Plus, after the injury to Gomes, fans want to see their saviour back more than ever.

One fan said “come back on an emergency loan”, whilst another fan simply said, “January please”.

Gueye has continued his form over in Paris, averaging 3.6 tackles and scoring once in his seven Ligue 1 games so far. He has become an important part of Thomas Tuchel’s side as PSG once again ease to the top of the French top-flight, seven points clear of Angers.

How Everton could do with a man like him right now, and here’s what the fans have had to say in light of his recent message to Gomes…

West Ham United fans were not impressed with the performance of Felipe Anderson as the Hammers lost to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

A Patrick van Aanholt penalty and a late strike from Jordan Ayew gave Roy Hodgson’s men all three points in east London.

Striker Sebastien Haller had given the Irons the lead in east London but Manuel Pellegrini’s side were unable to see the game out.

Anderson had two shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes, per WhoScored, and also completed three dribbles and won five tackles.

However, supporters were still left unimpressed with the Brazilian’s contribution as West Ham dropped points.

Indeed, the Hammers drew 2-2 with AFC Bournemouth last weekend and squandered a chance to climb into the top four with a victory over Palace.

And a number of supporters took aim at Anderson after the full-time whistle.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

West Ham fans are beginning to accept life without Lukasz Fabianksi, who faces up to three months on the sidelines, with some deciding to show support for Roberto.

The Spanish keeper has not enjoyed the best start to his Hammers career, conceding four against Oxford in the League Cup second round, leading some fans to call for Nathan Trott to be recalled from his loan to play ahead of him, despite the fact he is only 20 years of age.

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However, it looks very likely that, as the number two in the squad, Roberto will get the nod from Manuel Pellegrini to start for the foreseeable future, and therefore there is a section of supporters who are choosing to back him.

They hope the support shown will help to maintain the positive attitude at the club and improved performances from the 31-year-old.

When he last played regularly, in 2017/18, he made 34 La Liga appearances and conceded 51 goals, which suggests he could be dependable for the Hammers, and the reactions below show there is some faith in his ability.