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Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Klopp, Milner plays role in helping Liverpool kids advance in FA Cup - NBCSports.com

Liverpool U-23 boss Neil Critchley oversaw a dominant performance from his senior player-free squad in a 1-0 FA Cup defeat of Shrewsbury Town.

He was in the dugout watching a number of debutants control the League One side because Jurgen Klopp refused to change his club’s winter break plans.

[ MORE: Premier League schedule ] 

It was a controversial choice, but the kids made sure it looked like a stroke of genius.

Critchley was sure to credit the big boss Jurgen for his pre-, halftime, and post-match comments.

“Jurgen gives you clarity and belief. “Play the Liverpool way!” This is us, this is what we do, what we stand for, what we believe in and you better be ready for it. From the first minute, I think we did that.”

It also helps that Critchley got a hand from one of the on-break senior players.

James Milner, he of the 721 career senior appearances, was keeping himself fit and asked if he could train with the kids and spend the matchday with them.

“He was very respectful to ask, he asked if he could come in the dressing room. ‘Of course!’ He’s achieved so much in the game. He was giving words of advice to the players, he was vocal in the dressing room. I can’t thank him enough. He’s not available yet but he was certainly jumping up and down behind me, itching to get back.”

And now Liverpool is alive for more silverware, with a trip to Chelsea ahead.

It’s a bit too easy to heap praise on risks when they pay off, but this does truly seems like an example of why Liverpool as a club is succeeding in so many areas. Milner’s class. Klopp is class. And obviously the U-23 coach knows what he’s doing as well.

The Premier League’s 20 clubs are set for discussions on Thursday over whether to realign the transfer window to the rest of Europe — how it used to be — or continue ending transfer activity prior to the start of the season.

[ MORE: Christian Eriksen blasts Spurs for treatment, trophies ]

For the past two seasons, the window for PL clubs closed the day before the season began — a change that many expected would lead other leagues around Europe to follow suit. The idea was that clubs would conduct all of their business prior to the first official game and that would allow for greater continuity and less uncertainty for managers when the results counted.

However, that hasn’t happened among any of the other top leagues in Europe, which left a handful of PL clubs in a no-win situation for much of August. While a PL club might receive an offer for a player they wish to move on, their inability to sign a replacement left them with one of two choices: keep an unhappy player whose value is likely decreasing, or leave your squad thin in the name of financial gain.

[ MORE: “Honest” Mourinho admits “the best team lost” ]

There is another potential fix that is expected to be considered: leave the window as it is for domestic transfers while leaving it open until the end of August for international signings.

As things presently stand, PL clubs are at a massive disadvantage and desperately need to rectify the situation before one (or more) of them are forced to endure another month of chaos.

Is the sarcasm font on? Yes it is? OK then, here it goes…

Welcome to 2020, where Jose Mourinho continues to be the humble, honest and even-handed manager he has always been.

[ MORE: Christian Eriksen blasts Spurs for treatment, trophies ]

Moments after Tottenham Hotspur came back to secure a late victory over Southampton in the two sides’ FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday, an “honest” Mourinho admitted that “the best team lost on the pitch,” and would be very difficult to disagree with that assessment.

Saints could have been two or three goals clear of Tottenham before Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min pulled off Spurs’ furious rally, but Ralph Hasenhuttl‘s side couldn’t put away its best chances and were made to pay for it. While he admits that Saints were the better of the two sides, Mourinho believes his players “were the ones with more heart and went to their limit” — quotes from the BBC:

“I have to be honest and say I think the best team lost on the pitch but my team were the ones with more heart and went to their limit. So many difficulties to even build a team, the options were not options to change the game. My team to deserved to win – but the best team lost.

“From the intensity level and freshness, they were much stronger than us. We tried to organize the team with the players available. They controlled us well. Dele changed the game after we switched to a back four. We had a link with Dele Alli, it was like trying to build a puzzle with a few pieces short.”

…

“We suffered. We played against a very good team, we played against a team that was the best team on the pitch but we deserved to win because we were in our limits. They had their best players, they had one more day rest, they were fresh.

“The players [played with their] souls and heart, and gave absolutely everything. Four matches over two rounds, really hard for the boys. They deserve this happiness.”

As for Dele Alli, who acted as the midfield maestro orchestrating the late comeback, it’s time for Spurs to win a trophy — something he says they “deserve” — and performances like this one on Wednesday are further proof of that fact.

“It has been a long time coming, we are one of the best teams in the world in the years we have been together, we deserve a trophy. But no one is going to give it to us, we have to keep pushing and not just for us but for the fans we have to win something.”

For the second time in 11 days’ time, Tottenham Hotspur coughed up a lead to Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup, only this time Jose Mourinho’s side was fortunate enough to escape with victory on the back of their own comeback capped off by an 87th-minute penalty kick.

[ MORE: Christian Eriksen blasts Spurs for treatment, trophies ]

From 1-0 up inside the opening quarter-hour, to a 2-1 down with under minutes to go, to 3-2 in a span of nine minutes, Tottenham are through to the fifth round where they’ll host Norwich City.

Spurs went ahead in the 12th minute and appeared to be off to the races. Ryan Sessegnon raced into the penalty area one-on-one with Jack Stephens before losing out and having the ball tackled away, but it fell directly to Tanguy Ndombele just outside the box. Ndombele hit it hard and low, first-time, and straight at Stephens as he returned to his feet. The ball ricocheted off the Saints defender and left goalkeeper Angus Gunn anchored in place.

The lead didn’t even last until halftime, though, as Shane Long put home a rebound after Hugo Lloris made a diving save in the 34th minute. It was Nathan Redmond‘s initial shot which came in from the edge of the area, only to be saved by the outstretch Lloris. He couldn’t hold the ball and no one in a white shirt arrived to clear the ball away before Long reached the top of the six-yard box and slotted it near post.

[ MORE: USMNT MF Duane Holmes scores again for Derby County ]

Saints took their lead on a devastating counter-attack in the 72nd minute. It began with a Spurs corner kick at one end of the field and Danny Ings tucking the ball in the far corner at the other end.

That lead lasted almost no time at all, though, as Lucas Moura had Spurs level within five minutes. Lucas and Dele Alli played a quick one-two outside the penalty area and the Brazilian tucked his left-footed finish home just as well as Ings had done minutes earlier.

Son Heung-min won, and converted, the penalty kick that proved the difference on the day, but it was once again Alli who pulled the strings and set up one of the game’s crucial moments. His through ball came cut Saints’ defense in half and left Gunn with no choice but to rush off his line, though it must be said the contact he made with Son was minimal, if any at all.

Spurs’ fifth-round clash with Norwich will take place back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium midweek on the week starting March 2.

Spurs and Saints vie in their FA Cup replay at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the chance to meet Norwich City in the fifth round. Click the link below to follow along with the score with kickoff set for 2:45 p.m. ET.

[ LIVE: Follow all the FA Cup scores here ]

The match comes amid the newly instituted February break as both sides see their time off shortened by the replay.

Steven Bergwijn has been fantastic for Spurs since signing this winter, scoring on debut against Manchester City in the 2-0 win over the weekend, but he is not eligible for this game as he was not registered for the initial match between these two sides and therefore is not eligible for the replay. That leaves in-form winger Heung-Min Son up front by himself who has scored in each of his last three games. Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko are both injured, and Dele Alli is rested after his knock over the weekend. Eric Dier gets the start in midfield while Lucas Moura supports Son up front.

For Southampton, the visitors will want to get Danny Ings back on track. The 27-year-old has been a goal machine this season but he has now gone four straight games without finding the back of the net. Southampton has won just one of those four, as Ings’ form is critical to their on-field results.

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Klopp, Milner plays role in helping Liverpool kids advance in FA Cup - NBCSports.com
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