Jamal Musiala &#8211; CaughtOffside

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Exclusive: Arsenal transfer target could move for €25-30m, two other clubs have had bids rejected so far

England may have reached the final, but there weren’t too many players who covered themselves in glory in Germany, with even Walker’s place arguably being slightly contentious.

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Alvaro Morata trolls Jamal Musiala at Spain’s Euro 2024 celebration party

Mark Brus — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:14:44 +0000

Atletico Madrid and Spain striker Alvaro Morata trolled Germany star Jamal Musiala as the country celebrated winning Euro 2024 this summer.

Morata was a key player for Spain as they won the competition for the fourth time in their history, beating England 2-1 in Sunday’s final in Berlin.

For some reason, Morata singled out Musiala as he celebrated the result, mocking the Bayern Munich star by asking where he was, perhaps in reference to how well his team kept him quiet when they played in the quarter-final.

See below for the video that’s doing the rounds on social media today…

thank you morata for giving us future musiala edit material? pic.twitter.com/l6HNhqcRvB

— em (@mvsiala) July 16, 2024

Musiala is a top player on his day, so perhaps he’ll be disappointed not to have been able to have more of an impact for Germany at this summer’s Euros, though it also seems a bit harsh to be singling him out as someone who went missing.

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In the end, it’s hard to argue against Spain as the deserved winners of the tournament after they won all seven of their games, beating tough opponents like Germany, France and England on their way to picking up the trophy.

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Euro 2024 Golden Boot shared by Harry Kane, Liverpool star and four other players

CJ — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:28:05 +0000

Harry Kane became one of six players to share the Euro 2024 Golden Boot, despite failing to find the net in Sunday’s final.

Kane has come under fire for a series of underwhelming performances at the Euros this summer and was replaced by Ollie Watkins after just an hour in England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final on Sunday.

But even in poor form, Kane was able to contribute three vital goals to England’s cause. The Bayern Munich striker netted in a 1-1 group stage draw with Denmark and scored a vital extra-time winner against Slovakia in the round of 16, before converting a penalty in Wednesday’s 2-1 comeback win over the Netherlands in the semi-final.

That was enough to see Kane sit level atop the scoring charts alongside Spain’s Dani Olmo, Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze, Ivan Schranz of Slovakia, Bayern Munich teammate Jamal Musiala of Germany, and Liverpool’s Dutch forward Cody Gakpo.

Assists have been used as the tie-breaker in the Golden Boot race at previous European Championships. Under these parameters, Olmo would have taken the crown after notching two assists alongside his three goals.

However, Uefa announced (via BBC Sport) that this year’s award would be decided solely on goals scored, meaning five players share the honour.

Spain and Man City midfielder Rodri was named Player of the Tournament, while fellow Spaniard and Barcelona wonderkid won Young Player of the Tournament.

Harry Kane adds another individual achievement to the list

This is Kane’s second Golden Boot award of his international career after scoring six goals in England’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

Those awards sit nicely on his shelf among a host of other individual accolades, including three Premier League Golden Boots, the Torjägerkanone (Bundesliga Golden Boot) and the 2023/24 European Golden Shoe and UEFA Champions League top scorer crowns.

Kane is also England’s all-time top scorer with 66 goals in 98 caps to date — at least 13 more than any other player.

Of course, Kane would gladly trade all of those individual achievements for a team trophy, with the striker now losing in five separate major finals for club and country and failing to taste glory so far.

“Another tough moment for the team and for me personally,” Kane told BBC Radio 5 Live after Sunday’s loss in Berlin.

“A tough tournament physically and mentally. You get so close to the highest of the highs, the pinnacle of our careers, now everyone is at the lowest of the lows. We haven’t found a way to win that trophy and it is going to hurt for a long time.”

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Man City identify Kevin De Bruyne replacement as Belgian moves closer to exit

Ahad Shaukat — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 10:22:47 +0000

Premier League champions Manchester City have started the process to replace midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian has arguably been the best Man City player in the last decade and he has guided the club to success in the Premier League and the Champions League.

However, his time at the Etihad Stadium could be soon coming to an end as journalist Rudy Galetti has reported that his representatives met with the Saudi delegate and they have given their approval of a transfer to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad.

The journalist has mentioned that the Premier League giants are open to letting De Bruyne leave the club.

Verbal understanding reached between #AlIttihad and #DeBruyne. 🟡

A delegation of the PIF and some representatives of the club spoke to the player, who gave his approval to the transfer.

Now it’s up to clubs: #ManCity are open to letting him go. https://t.co/tyJwtq56ad pic.twitter.com/4krvU6Rg5s

— Rudy Galetti (@RudyGaletti) July 4, 2024

In order to replace him, Man City have started looking out for options in the market.

According to TeamTalk, the Premier League champions have shortlisted Benfica star Joao Neves as one of the options to replace the legendary Belgian midfielder.

The teenager is highly rated and City’s Premier League rivals Manchester United are also keeing an eye on the youngster.

Benfica are seeking the full £105m release clause in his contract so that would mean Man City would have to dig deep in their pockets to sign him.

Man City have shortlisted German duo as potential Kevin de Bruyne replacements.

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The report mentions Paris Saint-Germain Xavi Simons as one of the options with City monitoring the Dutch midfielder.

The young midfielder has impressed on his loan spell at RB Leipzig and that has created interest among some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Man City have added German midfielders to their shortlist

German duo Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala are also two young midfielders on the Man City shortlist as they plan for life without De Bruyne.

The loss of the Belgian midfielder would affect the Cityzens the most, compared to other departures in recent years.

All their options are talented young players who are destined for greatness but to replace De Bruyne, they have a long way to go.

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Germany 2-0 Denmark player ratings: Man Utd star posts embarrassing stat in Euro 2024 clash

CJ — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 21:31:27 +0000

Hosts Germany booked their place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals with a commanding 2-0 win over Denmark in Dortmund on Saturday.

A match disrupted by a thunderstorm during the first half saw Julian Nagelsmann’s men race out of the blocks to have a goal disallowed after just four minutes. It looked like Germany might run away with it, but Denmark grew into the game well and had a goal of their own chalked off just after half-time for the narrowest of offside calls.

The man who scored that no-goal, Joachim Andersen, then suffered more bad luck moments later as his handball gave Germany a penalty, which Kai Havertz expertly dispatched to open the scoring.

Switzerland 2-0 Italy player ratings: Ex-Arsenal man stars as holders crash out of Euro 2024

Germany re-established their dominance and finished the game in the 68th minute as Nico Schlotterbeck released Jamal Musiala with a beautiful pass — the Bayern Munich youngster showing ultimate composure to finish beyond Kasper Schmeichel.

It’s the first time Germany have made it past the round of 16 at a major tournament since reaching the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Are Die Mannschaft back?

Here are the full player ratings from the clash in Dortmund:

Germany vs Denmark player ratings

Germany (4-2-3-1)

Manuel Neuer – 8/10 – Stayed alert to make a couple of excellent saves at key points in the match and commanded his box well. Should silence a few doubters with this performance.

Joshua Kimmich – 7/10 – Always looked like creating something when he pushed forward down the right. Rarely tested defensively.

Antonio Rudiger – 8/10 – Made a vital block to deny Christian Eriksen when the score was still 0-0. Passing was on point as well. Vintage Rudiger.

Nico Schlotterbeck – 8/10 – Thought he’d opened the scoring after just four minutes only for VAR to intervene. Looked dangerous from set pieces all night and played a beautiful pass to set Musiala free for Germany’s second. His only mistake stumbling on the ball in the box went unpunished as Rasmus Hojlund blasted wide.

David Raum – 8/10 – Provided great thrust and width on the left and played some beautiful crosses into the Danish penalty area. Fired the ball at Andersen to win the penalty.

Robert Andrich – 7/10 – Let his aggression get the better of him on occasion but still provided an important defensive platform in midfield for Germany.

Toni Kroos – 9/10 – Most passes completed? Check. Most chances created? Check. Most touches of the ball? Check. This is just what Toni Kroos does. Enjoy him while you can.

Leroy Sane – 7/10 – Provided a different threat to Florian Wirtz with his speed and direct running. Final ball was left wanting a couple of times but he kept the Danish defence honest.

Ilkay Gundogan – 5/10 – Was unusually quiet despite this being a lively match. Had just 24 touches to his name and zero shots or chances created by the time he was brought off on 64 minutes.

Jamal Musiala – 9/10 – Such a graceful and composed player, even at 21 years old. Always looked to take the game to Denmark and kept his head brilliantly to finish the game with a smart finish in the second half.

Kai Havertz – 8/10 – Battled well against the Danish centre-backs and linked play with those behind him. Took his penalty superbly.

Substitutes:

Emre Can (64′, for Andrich) – 7/10 – Showed great composure to see the game out from the bench maintaining a 100% pass completion rate while making one block, one recovery and one clearance.

Niclas Fullkrug (64′, for Gundogan) – 7/10 – Offered his usual dose of no-nonsense physicality up-front, holding the ball up well.

Benjamin Henrichs (81′, for Raum) – 5/10 – Blazed a speculative effort over the bar but didn’t do much more.

Florian Wirtz (81′, for Musiala) – 7/10 – Looked a menace despite limited minutes. Had a goal disallowed and should have had an assist, but Havertz was denied by Schmeichel.

Waldemar Anton (88′, for Sane) – 6/10 – Did what he needed to at the end.

Denmark (3-4-2-1)

Kasper Schmeichel – 7/10 – The scoreline would have been much worse for Denmark without the interventions of Schmeichel, who made some excellent saves. But could he have come and claimed the ball to deny Musiala?

Joachim Andersen – 5/10 – The unluckiest man inside the Westfalenstadion. Within three minutes, he’d seen an opening goal disallowed for the most marginal of offside calls and given away a penalty after the ball was blasted into his arm from a yard away.

Jannik Vestergaard – 6/10 – Made some big blocks and interceptions but was left wanting for pace behind.

Andreas Christensen – 7/10 – Made tackle after block after clearance but Germany just proved too much.

Alexander Bah – 4/10 – Had a rough time up against an immense Jamal Musiala. The Bayern Munich youngster kept Bah pinned back for large stretches.

Thomas Delaney – 7/10 – Pushed forward well and helped create a couple of openings for Denmark before age caught up with him, fading in the second half.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7/10 – Put in a huge amount of defensive work, making eight recoveries, two tackles and a clearance. Played a beautiful pass to put Hojlund in on goal, but the Man Utd striker couldn’t convert.

Joakim Maehle – 6/10 – A constant threat but missed a decent chance in the first half when the score was still 0-0.

Andreas Skov Olsen – 4/10 – The odd flash but just didn’t ask enough questions of the German defence.

Christian Eriksen – 7/10 – Showed several glimpses of his former brilliance and was probably Denmark’s best player, creating three chances.

Rasmus Hojlund – 3/10 – Great movement but lost his composure in front of goal, missing with four shots worth 0.76 xGOT. A night to forget for the Man Utd striker.

Substitutes:

Christian Norgaard (69′, for Delaney) – 6/10 – Looked bright from the bench but couldn’t bring Denmark back into the game.

Yussuf Poulsen (69′, for Skov Olsen) – 5/10 – Didn’t get into the game.

Jacob Bruun Larsen (80′, for Christensen) – 5/10 – As above.

Victor Kristiansen (81′, for Bah) – 6/10 – Added some more dynamism to the left flank but didn’t have enough time to change the game.

Jonas Wind (81′, for Hojlund) – 5/10 – Didn’t get into the game.

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Video: Jamal Musiala doubles Germany’s lead with beautiful finish

Sean Walker — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 21:10:16 +0000

Jamal Musiala has slotted past Kasper Schmeichel to put his side two goals up in their round of 16 clash with Denmark.

Germany is cruising to the quarter-finals as they lead Denmark 2-0 in Dortmund after another dominant display.

Kai Havertz gave the hosts the lead from the spot after a handball from Joachim Andersen, who just had a goal of his own overturned five minutes earlier.

That lead was then doubled by Bayern Munich’s Musiala who slotted calmly into the bottom corner after a beautiful run in behind the Danish defence.

Jamal Musiala doubles Germany’s lead!

An incredible assist from Nico Schlotterbeck to set the 21-year-old away ‍#Euro2024 | #GERDEN pic.twitter.com/AH3KLI5Cs1

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 29, 2024

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Liverpool, Chelsea keen on Bundesliga attacker with 20-G/A last season

Saikat Chatterjee — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 11:51:18 +0000

Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on the Bayern Munich attacker Jamal Musiala.

According to a report from the Mirror, Liverpool manager Arne Slot is keeping an eye on the 21-year-old German international and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool decide to make a move for him in the coming weeks.

Musiala is reportedly keen on a move away from the German club this summer after rejecting a new contract with them in March.

Apart from Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are keeping tabs on the high-rated attacker as well. He is capable of operating as the central attacking midfielder as well as a winger. He will add goals and creativity to the Liverpool attack if they can secure his signature.

He is regarded as one of the finest young attacking talents in European football, and he could prove to be a superb long-term investment for the Reds. He scored 12 goals in all competitions last season and picked up eight assists along the way as well. Liverpool could certainly use someone with his qualities and it remains to be seen whether they can win the race for his signature.

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Jamal Musiala in action for Bayern Munich

Chelsea and Man City keen on Jamal Musiala

The German international is unlikely to be a cheap acquisition and he could cost a premium this summer. Meanwhile, Chelsea need more quality in the attack as well and the 21-year-old will add goals and creativity to the side. They were overly dependent on Cole Palmer last season and the English attacker needs more support in the upcoming season. Signing Musiala could prove to be a wise decision.

The report from Mirror claims that Musiala wants to join a club capable of winning major trophies and therefore Manchester City could be an attractive destination for him as well. They have a proven track record of winning trophies rvery season and Pep Guardiola could nurture him into a world class player.

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Collymore’s column: Give Trent time, Palace danger man perfect for Liverpool, Georgia transfer opportunity and more

Stan Collymore — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:29:13 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including why it’s time to stop criticising Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, why Michael Olise makes perfect sense for Liverpool, why Premier League clubs need to look at Georgia for transfers and much more.

Let Trent Alexander-Arnold get on with it in midfield

Trent Alexander-Arnold (right) and Jude Bellingham – (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

We either all shut up and let him, Gareth Southgate, and perhaps Arne Slot, play in that position. The only way to learn how to play in that position is to play it! Or we say we’ll give him two games and, unless he’s bloody Michel Platini, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes rolled into one, in 90 minutes we’ll get rid of the experiment.

For me, if you’re going to convert a player from a right fullback into a central midfielder, that’s fine. But now you have to play him in the amount of games that allows him to learn the role. In other words, learning as you go! There was a big clamour for Trent to sit in front of the back four; his passing is great, his free-kicks are great… but to walk into an international tournament, or even the Premier League, and convert on day one isn’t going to happen. So we need to be patient with him.

It’s kind of the same really when Phil Foden played the last friendly against Iceland; he played as a No.10 and didn’t play well. I remember writing a few months back that you either have to give someone the whole tournament in that position or don’t play them at all. Because really, what you’re saying is, ‘We believe Trent can play in midfield, so we’ve got to play him there’. But the problem is he didn’t grow up as a midfielder, so it’s a different role he’s learning. I think he’ll play tonight. If he plays anything above a five or a six out of 10 – he keeps his place! Unless he backpasses in the 90th minute and that guy goes around the ‘keeper and scores and all of a sudden we’re in trouble – even then Gareth Southgate has decided to pick Trent as a midfielder, so you’ve got to continue with it. It’s that simple for me.

People can be as critical as they like and you can be critical and say he didn’t have a great game. I don’t think he did have a great game, I think that sometimes his passing was a little bit off, but I can expand my mind enough to say that the benefits we’re going to potentially get are worthwhile. If Arne Slot plays him there for club, and Gareth Southgate for his country, he’s only two years away from the World Cup in the States, Mexico and Canada. At that point, Trent may have had two or three years as a central midfielder. So it’s got to start somewhere.

You can’t just say to somebody, ‘We’re going to throw you in and expect Steven Gerrard’ because Trent is learning a job. Also, I would say, for me, if we continue with Trent through the tournament, hopefully he plays every game, then we’ve got the Nations League in Autumn. So that’s going to be eight, maybe 10 games over time, then he can confidently start as a central midfielder alongside Jude Bellingham. So we shouldn’t be judging Trent until midway, or towards the end of the Nations League games. Not the European Championship. We’ve all decided he’s good enough to play there, we’ve all had the debate. Let him play there.

Why Trent’s case is different to other England teammates

I think there are question marks at the moment about Bukayo Saka. I don’t know whether he’s fully fit. He didn’t really give much down the right-hand side [against Serbia]. There’s a few potential people, like Jarrod Bowen and Cole Palmer, knocking on the door – that’s a relevant thing to ask! Bukayo Saka is a specialist down the right. By comparison, the thing you have to look at with Trent is his qualities: his passing and his ability to break down the right, overlap and get crosses in the box like a fullback (like he did leading up to the tournament). For me, the glass is half-full with Trent. If you stick with him in the way I would like us to stick with Phil Foden as a No.10 (he’s not at the minute, as that’s Jude Bellingham), then you’re going to reap the rewards. Those rewards don’t come until six, eight, 10, 12, or 15 games down the line, because that process is a conversion process in real time. You have to let it pan out.

Arda Güler, Jamal Musiala and Georgia’s impressive XI

Arda Guler: Turkey’s bright new star – (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

I think Premier League clubs should be taking a serious look at Turkey and Real Madrid’s Arda Güler – he was exceptional against Georgia. The fact he picks the ball up 10 yards outside the 18-yard box and wants to drive directly at people (and he backs himself to beat people) is impressive. He, for me, has been really outstanding. Jamal Musiala has been really good as well for Germany.

The future of European football, young European football, is very good. In terms of if you’re looking for value in the market, you’ve got to be looking at Georgia. I had a look at their squad the other day and I think they’ve got one very well-known player in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli, but apart from that the rest are playing for second and third tier teams around Europe. I thought they were on the front-foot, they showed energy and passion, which was exceptional. Technically very good on the ball; they got it and kept it whilst moving forward. So, for me, if you’re a Premier League club or aspirational top-end of the Championship outfit and you’re in a position to prise some of those Georgian lads for €3-6m – you should!

Look at what Brighton did in terms of the Japanese market with Kaoru Mitoma. There’s Celtic in recent seasons under Ange Postecoglou before the Spurs move; he’s previously worked in Japan and took two or three up to Scotland. There are markets out there that undoubtedly have a lot of value.

The one to 11 of Georgia players that featured – as an Aston Villa fan, I would have taken any one of them! They were excellent, they genuinely had a never-say-die attitude. Technically they were brilliant! A lot of teams keep the ball and build through in a very slow, pedestrian manner, before coming alive in the final third. The thing I liked about Georgia is they could fizz the ball in to a teammate which was exceptional, but they also had five or six players that could run with the ball as well. One of the big reasons why Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shared out Ballon d’Ors over the last decade and a half is because they have the ability to run with the ball. All the great players can pass the ball and all the great players can score great goals in great moments but the ability to run well with the ball is really rare.

Georgia run with the ball extremely well and took the game to their opponents. Georgia will now be watched by lots of people. If you’re looking for bargains – look no further than the Georgian national team!

Leicester shouldn’t regret missing out on Graham Potter

Steve Cooper has been appointed as Leicester City’s next boss – (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

I think Leicester fans will take to Steve Cooper very quickly. I’ve talked football with both Steve and Graham Potter. It’ll be a weird one for Forest fans because they idolise Steve. He took them back into the Premier League for the first time in 20-odd years. So, he holds a very special place in everyone’s hearts at Nottingham Forest Football Club.

In terms of the two clubs moving forward in the Premier League (and under a bit of pressure because of Financial Fair Play), I would take Steve Cooper all day long at Leicester. He’s got the passion, the character and a bit more personality than Graham. Graham, I think, will be looking for a job with a club like Leicester but a year or two further down the line when they’re comfortably mid-table and there aren’t any points deductions looming or fires to fight and he can impose his style of play.

I think with Steve, he inspires a lot of loyalty from his players – that was obvious at Forest. Even the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, if you remember in the first season when Forest came up, Steve was under a lot of pressure because of how many games they were losing. Marinakis gave him a new contract because the Forest fans were calling for Steve to stay. Leicester City fans will like that. They’ll like the passion Steve brings and I think in a season that may potentially start with some kind of punishment, Steve Cooper is a better choice in this moment (not necessarily overall compared to Graham Potter), whereas Graham will probably be looking to go to a stable club and take them from the middle of the table into European positions. I think that’s what Graham Potter’s holding out for.

Perhaps Graham was holding out for a promise that he would get money to spend this summer. With Steve, he wants to get back into the game and the Premier League very quickly. I think he’s the right man for Leicester City and they’ll enjoy having him there. Whether or not he keeps them up is another thing because they may be subject to hostile bids from other clubs for talents like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Some of their younger talents have also caught the eye. Everyone has talked the talk at Leicester that they want to stay, but you might get a situation where, if they’re struggling and facing a points deduction, they might be having to balance the books by losing one or two players.

So, for me, Steve Cooper is the right man at the right time for the right club.

Michael Olise would make ‘perfect sense’ for Liverpool

He’s going to end up at another Premier League club this summer. I think it would make perfect sense for Liverpool. You’d think Arne Slot will be given a ‘welcome to Liverpool gift’, which would, of course, be a player. When a new manager comes in they often want young and hungry talent – someone who, when they leave several years down the line and they’re on the TV doing punditry, can say they were the person who brought in a certain player, like Michael Olise.

If I’m Olise and I’ve got a choice of Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, what have you – I’m going for Liverpool all day long. Why Liverpool? They’ve got some great attacking options, they’ve also got some very good young players who can help him along. Trent Alexander-Arnold is still very young, there’s Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones too, plus Stefan Bajcetic… a good cohort of youngsters to help him along. What better ‘welcome to Anfield gift’? Arne Slot will want a player who he can say, ‘This is mine. Not Jurgen Klopp’s. Mine.’

Chelsea will argue the same given they’ve got a new manager. What better way to welcome their manager than by handing him a shiny new signing. Olise may also wish to stay in London having been at Crystal Palace for years; he knows the area very well, wouldn’t have to move, etc. It depends on his ambition. I think Chelsea will have a good season next season. They’ve got lots of good young players. But, for me, if you’re looking at two clubs whereby one could still go horribly wrong (the Chelsea experiment) as well it could go right, whereas Liverpool are back in the Champions League and still have world-class players doing world-class things like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk – then I think he would better-served and thrown to the wolves less by going for the latter. Look at Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernadez who have been hammered left, right and centre. Liverpool would be a better option for him. I can see him as an absolute perfect fit! Get the job done, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes!

Arne Slot has the ingredients to be a success at Liverpool

Arne Slot – Liverpool’s new head coach

I’ve gone over to Holland a few times and a good friend of mine, Brian Roy, was involved with Ajax a lot. I’ve asked him and a couple of other Dutch guys I know about Slot. Listen, pretty much every coach in Europe wants to play the Pep Guardiola way; they want to get the ball down, secure lots of possession and play through the lines. What I like about Slot is that you can see he has a personality and believes he belongs at Liverpool. The difference between getting a very good coach at Liverpool or Manchester United and Tottenham, Arsenal and some of the other clubs is the personality. In reality, Pep Guardiola has personality and is an exceptional coach, which is why he’s successful at Manchester City. But to manage Liverpool or Manchester United – you’ve got to take a hell of a lot of people with you, a global supporter base. I think that’s been the problem with Erik ten Hag; he’s a bit geeky and there’s still that question of whether or not follow him. At the minute, they’re following him.

I think Arne Slot seems to be the man who relishes the opportunity of doing the talking. Not just the coaching. What made Jurgen Klopp so special was that his coaching philosophy was sound, but I think you’ve got to almost got to be like a head of state – that’s simply the case with the bigger clubs. It bodes well that Slot has the personality and oozes the kind of confidence where if he gets a good run and things start going well, he’ll get emboldened and talks the talk as well as walks the walk. Look, it can spin on its head, it’s a results-driven business. From that perspective, any manager that comes in cocky and confident who doesn’t get the results they desire suddenly ends up shrinking and then people question whether he’s too quiet or not. For me, what I saw from the Feyenoord dressing room is that he’s very much one who can get people to follow him. That’s very important at Liverpool Football Club, regardless of whether you’re a player or head coach – people have to follow you.

So, for me, Liverpool have a very good head coach but potentially also a man who can grow with the role and become a big personality. If you haven’t got that at Liverpool or Manchester United – you’re a dead man walking. The early signs are very good.

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Video: Controversy as Jamal Musiala’s goal for Germany stands but Gundogan may have fouled defender in the build-up

Mehdi Gokal — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 16:48:37 +0000

Jamal Musiala has scored for the second consecutive game, giving Germany the lead against Hungary.

The goal came in the 22nd minute and was surrounded by controversy.

In a sequence that began with Musiala attempting to pass to Ilkay Gundogan, Hungarian defender Willi Orban intercepted the ball.

However, the danger was not fully averted. Gundogan bundled into Orban, who fell to the ground, allowing the Barcelona midfielder to snatch the ball back and set up Musiala.

The Bayern Munich star then finished expertly into the back of the net.

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