It’s Friday and ahead of the weekend we’re rounding up the latest headlines regarding Liverpool, the Premier League and the football world at large.
Premier League rule changes proposed
It might be back relatively soon, but the top-flight games in England will be a rather different landscape.
We already know it’ll be a case of games behind closed doors, but there are further changes ahead as proposed by IFAB.
Five substitutes are likely to be allowed per team—but still over only three stoppage points during the game, plus half-time.
In addition, the Premier League is offered the chance to discontinue the use of VAR for the remainder of the present campaign.
It’ll be interesting to see the reaction to that possibility after the technology was widely criticised earlier in the season.
The greatness and the regret of Andy Robbo
Everyone around Liverpool loves our left-back, a hero of the people, an international captain and a damn good player to boot.
Throughout the coronavirus lockdown he has also proven his compassion, willingness to put himself out for others and go to lengths few would be prepared to go through.
Now he is going further: establishing his own charity to give people a “first chance in life” in Scotland, hoping to play a real part in improving communities.
Back on the pitch, Robbo has recalled the occasion he tangled with Leo Messi and ruffled the legend’s hair; a spur-of-the-moment reaction which gave him iconic status in the club but which he seems to regret, to an extent, now.
There’s also talk of his early days at Liverpool and overcome Jurgen Klopp‘s initial questions of him.
Baby steps
Slowly, slowly, we’re re-establishing certain lines of getting back to normal in the football world—albeit in necessarily delayed fashion.
- The Premier League wants futures of players with expiring contracts settled by June 23, which includes Clyne and Lallana
- Melwood is now reopened for players, but under strict conditions—and not everyone has taken up the offer
- And if you’re feeling as though you’re missing out with no live football, check out the best of the action on TIA this season
Leagues restart news latest
Football is back in South Korea, where crowd noises were played over a loudspeaker system.
In Europe, LaLiga has followed the Bundesliga by announcing dates for a restart, apparently.
Nothing official has come from the league but Leganes coach Javier Aguirre says games will restart on June 20 and the season will finish by July 26.
Quickfire LFC news
- Liverpool will have to pay only £44m instead of £52m to activate Timo Werner’s release clause if Leipzig don’t win the title (Gazzetta)
- Ovie Ejaria has committed his international future to Nigeria (ESPN)
- Liverpool, Leeds and Rangers are fighting it out for 16-year-old attacker Charlie Allen, currently with Linfield (Evening Post)
- And John Achterberg has spoken about the dreadful conditions he faced as a goalkeeper coach before joining Liverpool (LFC)
Around the Prem
- Carra has pointed out that club’s moaning about neutral venues being unfair have simply missed out on winning points at home earlier in the season (Telegraph)
- Ben Chilwell is a top target for Spurs, because we all dream of dropping from third and the Champions League down to a team battling Arsenal for eighth (Mercato)
- Newcastle will lash £70m on Phil Coutinho after the takeover, then be disappointed when he’s not great because Isaac Hayden isn’t on his wavelength (Mundo Deportivo)
- And we must have now run out of new rumours and are restarting 2018’s all over again, as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is linked with United, Chelsea and Spurs (Mail)
Stupid rumour of the day
We’re relegating this Koulibaly chase to our stupid section. French media now suggest the Reds are the front-runners for the Napoli centre-back because…Paris Saint-Germain have decided to give Thiago Silva a new contract instead.
It’s as if none of them have any notion of the idea of transfers making sense, planning for more than one season at a time, anything.
Tweet of the day
?? Bob Paisley joined Liverpool on this day in 1939 for a £10 signing-on fee. He would make 277 appearances before becoming a member of the back room staff.
In 1974, he would succeed Bill Shankly and the rest, as they say, is history. ?? pic.twitter.com/La0qIYqzvf
— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) May 8, 2020
What we’re reading
Former Reds striker Stan Collymore features in this look at an England XI of players who never fulfilled their potential, in the Telegraph.
And here’s a good chat with Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City, on the art of goalkeeping, for the Athletic.
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