Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher doubts Daniel Sturridge's long-term future at Anfield

Sturridge is likely to start up front for the Reds against Manchester United on Monday but Carragher reckons he's fortunate that other players are injured.

Jamie Carragher has cast doubt on Daniel Sturridge's long-term future at Liverpool by suggesting he wouldn't make it into Jurgen Klopp's best XI.

Sturridge is in line to make his 100th Reds appearance in Monday's huge match against Manchester United, but that might not have been the case had Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum not been doubts for the match with groin and hamstring concerns respectively.

When Klopp has had all his players available to him, he has tended to opt for an attacking four of Lallana, Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, forcing Sturridge to settle for a place on the bench.

The former Manchester City and Chelsea forward is yet to convince Klopp that he is the man to lead the line since the German took over a year ago, the Liverpool Echo report.

And, when asked if Sturridge has a long-term future at Liverpool, Carragher said: “Possibly not.

Carragher doubts whether Sturridge would make it into Klopp's first XI

“Because I think when Jurgen Klopp picks his best team, when everyone’s fit, I don’t think Sturridge is in it, at this moment.

“I think Daniel may play on Monday because of a few injuries and Firmino may play out wide and Coutinho may play central, that was the situation at Swansea and Liverpool won.

“But when everyone’s fit and firing, I don’t think he quite gets in the eleven.

“When he doesn’t, I think it’s (been) proven at the end of last season at times, and even this season on the back of a great win at Chelsea.

The 26-year-old is expected to start against Manchester United

"I think there was a home game a week later and he wasn’t involved – having been part of a victory at Chelsea – I think that shows that.”

Carragher was keen to stress how highly he rates Sturridge as a goalscorer, but has doubts whether Klopp appreciates his all-round game.

Sturridge has scored 55 goals in just 77 starts since moving to the Reds in January 2013, but has found himself sidelined for a number of Liverpool’s most important fixtures.

Sturridge has often found himself benched for the Reds' biggest games

The former Chelsea man was on the bench in both legs of Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund last season, with injury to Divock Origi eventually seeing him back in the side for the home leg with Villarreal and Europa League final.

Carragher added: “I think Daniel’s goal scoring record alone is fantastic – he would walk into most teams – but Jurgen Klopp wants a lot more than just scoring goals from his attacking players.

“He wants work rate, players coming back to help the team. I think Firmino fits that bill for him at this moment in that central role.”.

More games: friv

Klopp says Sturridge doesn't need to change as striker prepares for Liverpool return

England striker has trained all week after missing opening weekend win.

Jurgen Klopp insists Daniel Sturridge doesn’t need to change to fit his Liverpool blueprint as the striker returns to the squad for Saturday’s trip to Burnley.

Sturridge is expected to feature at Turf Moor after missing last weekend’s thrilling 4-3 win at Arsenal.

The England international was available for the opening game but after a minor hip problem Klopp decided he would benefit more from extra training at Melwood.

With Sadio Mane likely to miss out due to a shoulder injury, it’s a battle between Sturridge and Divock Origi for a starting spot against the Clarets.

“Of course Daniel is an option,” Klopp said.

“He was not match fit last week. That’s how it is in football. If you don’t have other options you need to take what you can get because you can’t switch the game to another date.

“Sometimes players have to play with 50% or 60% fitness, but when you have options you need to use the time with the other players and bring them fitness wise to the next level.

“Dan had a pre-season but it was interrupted with a few little injuries.

“The last one was little too but it was enough that he could not train so we used the time when he was fit again for training. Now he has had the whole week involved in team training so he is an option.”

Sturridge’s absence at the Emirates received little attention as Roberto Firmino led the line impressively and Liverpool scored four.

The Reds no longer look reliant on Sturridge with fellow frontmen Firmino, Origi and Danny Ings all perfectly suited to the high intensity style Klopp wants the Reds to play.

But the manager fully appreciates the injection of quality a fully fit Sturridge is able to provide.

“I don’t want to transform Daniel into a marathon runner,” Klopp added.

“I hope that we defend so smart that we won’t have to always run like devils.

“I saw we broke some records at Arsenal with running but it is more that you’re always able to make the right decisions.

“In football, what you don’t have in your mind, you have in your legs. So then you run and have to close the gaps, but it is not always about the highest intensity.

“I do not want Daniel Sturridge running like whoever. I want to use his skills.

“I know about his quality. Our game is not a problem for Daniel.”

Gossip: Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi and…. Jordon Ibe

UNITED TO MAKE £100M POGBA BID
The whole ‘Paul Pogba to Manchester United’ thing gathers pace by the day. We can’t quite yet accept that this anything more than just a desire for it to happen. Real Madrid or staying put at Juventus are the eventualities that our brains most compute.

Still, the Daily Mirror believe that United are going to go all out on this one. They report that United will bid £100m for Pogba, and offer the Juventus midfielder £300,000 a week to make the move. That would surely be enough for Juve to accept and Pogba to at least think about making the switch. Damn, we’ve got all excited again.

CHELSEA HOLD MESSI TALK…HAHAHAHA
Chelsea hold Lionel Messi talks? Sure, The Sun. Why not. Why not indeed.

This one is a Phil Cadden ‘exclusive’, reporting that Lionel Messi’s father Jorge met Roman Abramovich on the Chelsea owner’s yacht. They put two and two together to say that Chelsea could sign Messi for a fee that would smash the £100m mark.

It’s a lovely big story on a slow news day, but fails to appreciate the elephant in the room that is Barcelona’s unwillingness to sell the best player in the world.

We’ll say it now: The Sun can do all the exclusive splashes they want, but if Chelsea sign Messi this summer this gossiper will eat his shoes and film it.

LIVERPOOL TO GET £15M FOR IBE
We’re sticking with The Sun now, and their claim that Bournemouth are ‘testing’ Liverpool with a £15m bid for Jordon Ibe. Presumably by ‘testing’ they mean testing Liverpool’s ability to say “Yes please” as loudly and quickly as possible?

Ibe has shown flashes of excellence at Anfield and is still just 20 years old, but he’s also going to seriously struggle for minutes next season. James Milner, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana, Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Ings, Divock Origi, Jordan Henderson, Marko Grujic, Sadio Mane, Lucas Leiva, Emre Can, Joe Allen, Cameron Brannagan, Mario Balotelli, Lazar Markovic, Sheyi Ojo and Luis Alberto are, as things stand, competing with Ibe for six starting positions. He doesn’t have the Europa League to get experience in.

On Wednesday we created a list of the most expensive uncapped English players. By Thursday, we have reports of a player going top of that list.

AND THE REST

West Ham are looking to hijack Crystal Palace’s move for Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, 25… West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says the club were priced out of a move for Boca Juniors forward Carlos Tevez, 32. They offered him £150,000 a week but the Argentine asked for £250,000 a week to return to his first English side next season… Middlesbrough are considering a move for Fenerbahce striker Robin van Persie, 32… Manchester City will have to spend more than £100m if they are to capture Leonardo Bonucci and John Stones… Juventus are considering a £17 million bid for Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic, who could be surplus to requirements with the Blues.

Daniel Sturridge reveals who he was texting while England were playing

Liverpool striker says he is a team player

Daniel Sturridge has revealed who he was busy texting during England's 2-1 friendly win over Australia recently - and insists he is a team player.

The Liverpool striker appeared preoccupied during the international friendly at the Stadium of Light, where he was in the dugout nursing an injury.

He was criticised in some quarters for using his mobile phone more than watching the action on the pitch, but Sturridge has explained he was busy checking on a charity event he was heavily involved in.

"It was my first annual charity event in Birmingham that night," he said.

"My family had put the event on and they were texting me the whole night. It's important to watch my team-mates play but if I receive a text message about my charity event, of course I'm going to reply to it.

"I'm trying to do something positive for my community in Birmingham as well as in Jamaica. Of course I want my team-mates to do well and there was no disrespect at all."

The Sturridge added he was very much a team player.

"We can't win this thing if there's egos or problems in the camp," he said.

England's Daniel Sturridge during a training session at Stade de Bourgognes, Chantilly.

"It's about us being here as a team. I look at other countries in many competitions and when they score everyone is off the bench and they are all involved, all jumping on each other celebrating - and that's how we have to be.

"We have to be a team. It's very important, on and off the pitch.

"We don't have our mums, dads, kids and all those things here. So we're our family and we have to be together.

"It's not about 'I have to play' or 'he has to play'. If we're not here as a nation, and as a team together, we won't win it. That's how it is."

Sturridge's all-for-one outlook did not stretch as far as agreeing to play the role of 'good tourist' though.

"I'm not here for a holiday," was his response when the notion was floated.

"Nobody wants to sit on the bench. I want to play, of course, but it's down to the manager to choose his team and I have to understand that."

Jamie Carragher says Mamadou Sakho has let himself and Liverpool down

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has "let himself and his club down badly" with his failed drugs test, according to former Reds centre-back Jamie Carragher.

UEFA is currently investigating a possible anti-doping violation by Sakho, who failed a drugs test after Liverpool's Europa League second-leg tie at Manchester United last month.

It is understood the failed test is associated with a fat-burning supplement and Sakho, who was pulled out of Saturday's game against Newcastle but has not been suspended either by Liverpool or UEFA, now faces an anxious wait to see whether he will receive a playing ban.

The France international is likely to ask for his B sample to be tested, with the deadline for that request set for Tuesday.

Carragher, whose one-club playing career came to an end with his retirement in 2013, told Sky Sports on Monday: "It's a nightmare for the player.

"I think he's let himself and his club down badly, because he was becoming a really important player for Liverpool.

"There are serious questions to be asked of him.

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"He's had a great campaign. He's one of the leaders of the team now. You think of the Borussia Dortmund game, the Manchester United games especially, how well he played in those. It's now how Liverpool fill that void.

"But for a professional footballer - or any sportsman, really - it's not acceptable."

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says the Sakho case should warn players there is no ''magic answer'' to solving weight issues.

Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho reacts after missing a shot on goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 20, 2016. AFP/Getty Images

''The culture has moved away from food and towards supplements and using potions and lotions,'' BDA spokesperson Aisling Pigott told Press Association Sport.

''But athletes have to be extremely careful because unless those supplements are legal there is a big risk that they could be contaminated.

''I see a lot of under-18 footballers today talking about supplements, but you can not afford to go down the illegal route.

''Fat-burning supplements are difficult to monitor and if there was anything reliable to burn fat, it would be introduced across the board in the health service because of the (obesity) crisis we have.

''People are looking for the magic answer all the time, but it does not exist.''

It is understood that Sakho might have failed a drugs test as some fat-burners consist of mild-to-moderate stimulant-type drugs such as ephedrine.

Those drugs could enhance performance by increasing metabolism and providing extra energy, but the BDA say illegal supplements can also have the opposite effect.

''You can have a bunch of placebo ingredients cooked up, but these are generally high in caffeine and can have a negative effect on performance,'' said Pigott.

''They can affect sleep and make an individual anxious.

''They are not legal and safe, and I would be surprised to hear of any elite athlete taking these supplements.

''It's also vital that any organisation knows the risk of supplements, and football clubs must spend more time on education and have a broader level of knowledge.

''They must make it clear that it's not a good idea for a player to go into a shop and buy a fat-burning supplement, because it just doesn't work.''

Sturridge and Firmino punish dismal United as De Gea prevents humiliation

Advantage Liverpool, and a healthy one at that, yet it would have been game, set and match against Manchester United but for the heroics of goalkeeper David de Gea.

Daniel Sturridge's questionable first-half penalty and a close-range strike by Roberto Firmino, following an awful mistake by United's Michael Carrick, ensured that Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford for next Thursday's second leg with a commanding 2-0 lead.

But it could have been five or six, had it not been for De Gea's catalogue of crucial saves on a night when the poverty of Louis van Gaal's United we exposed by a confident and energetic Liverpool.

United mustered just one shot on target all night, but Liverpool's failure to convert at least one more of their chances means that they will travel to Manchester with the tie still alive, but only just.

There have clearly been more significant encounters between these two clubs since the first of 194 previous meetings in April 1894.

Liverpool and United have fought out FA Cup and League Cup finals, battled for points at the business end of the league and almost contested a Champions League final in Moscow in 2008, when only a narrow Chelsea victory against Liverpool in the last four prevented English football's traditional superpowers facing each other in the biggest game of all.

So a last-16 clash in the Europa League was some way down the pecking order, but with both clubs attempting to emerge from periods of transition, the outcome of this tie will only boost the victors and leave the losers searching for answers and a route back to the glory days.

Yearning

Perhaps a yearning for the days when they were kings prompted Liverpool to turn their pre-match soundtrack into some kind of 1980s party, with Eye of the Tiger and The Final Countdown being boomed around Anfield.

If only the likes of Souness, Dalglish, Hansen and Rush could be dusted off and wheeled out too, Jürgen Klopp's plans for a Liverpool revolution would be far further down the line.

The same applies to United under Van Gaal. Mounting injuries and poor summer recruitment left the Dutchman turning once again to youngsters Guillermo Varela and Marcus Rashford in a contest which has always been about giants of the game at the peak of their powers rather than callow kids with nothing more than raw promise.

To that end, Van Gaal restored a fit-again Marouane Fellaini to the starting line-up for the first time in over a month, simply to add brawn and muscle to an otherwise timid team. But for all of Fellaini's nuisance qualities, he is no creator and United lacked the cutting edge and guile to trouble Liverpool in a first half which was dominated by the home side.

Rashford's volley over the bar at the Kop end from Memphis Depay's cross after just 14 seconds was as close as United came in the opening period.

At the other end Liverpool were left to curse De Gea for keeping the score down after Daniel Sturridge's 19th-minute penalty opener.

Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo took his time before pointing to the spot following Depay's tug on Nathaniel Clyne, but it was a soft penalty. Sturridge calmly beat De Gea to give Liverpool the lead.

The opener raised the decibel levels inside Anfield, with the home fans sensing the opportunity to urge their team to a crucial second. Liverpool poured forward and Sturridge picked out the unmarked Philippe Coutinho at the far post on 23 minutes, only for De Gea to smother the Brazilian's close-range shot.

Then on 31 minutes a slip by Chris Smalling gifted Sturridge a chance to score his second. Once again De Gea came to United's rescue, as he did when producing a point-blank save from Adam Lallana four minutes before half-time.

United's season has been disappointing enough with the Spaniard in their ranks, so it does not bear thinking about how badly it may have turned out had his aborted move to Real Madrid gone through last summer.

With United finding it so difficult to threaten Liverpool, Van Gaal reverted to 3-5-2 at the start of the second period, withdrawing Rashford and installing Carrick at centre-half. Daley Blind moved to left wing-back, with Marcos Rojo occupying the left side of the back three, a move which gave United more purpose down that side of the pitch.

But Liverpool were able to keep United away from Simon Mignolet's goal, with Morgan Schneiderlin's 20-yard effort - saved by the Belgian keeper - the best of their early chances.

Liverpool continued to play with greater efficiency going forward and United were indebted to De Gea yet again on 55 minutes when he produced a fingertip save to push Coutinho's powerful strike from long range over the crossbar.

United attempted to wear Liverpool down with their possession game, but while it gave them greater control of the centre of the pitch, Mignolet continued to watch on largely untroubled, only needing to race off his line to punch a Varela cross away from the head of Anthony Martial.

De Gea was at least proving his worth, if many of his team-mates were not. The Spaniard palmed away a swerving Clyne shot on 66 minutes as Liverpool turned the screw, but his resistance was finally broken on 74 minutes by Firmino.

Carrick's heavy first touch from Jordan Henderson's cross saw the ball bounce to Lallana and the England midfielder picked out Firmino, who scored form six yards.

It was no more than Liverpool deserved and Anfield exploded in celebration, and probably a realisation that this United team will not be able to turn it around at Old Trafford. (© Independent News Service)

Daniel Sturridge: This is what Liverpool should know after victory over Man Utd

DANIEL STURRIDGE insists he is fit enough to play every match for Liverpool between now and the end of the season.

Sturridge has been plagued by a catalogue of thigh injuries this term.

The striker scored from the penalty spot in last night’s 2-0 win over Manchester United in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie at Anfield.

Although he was replaced just after the hour mark by Joe Allen, Sturridge has tried to assure the Kop faithful he feels great.

“That is the manager's decision to choose which players he wants to play," Sturridge said.

"I am fine, I am fit and I am ready to play as many matches the manager is prepared to give me. My body feels great.”

The win helped Liverpool end a four-game losing streak against United, and Sturridge believes tonight’s result was a significant one.

He said: “The past is the past in terms of recent games against them.

“We go into each game with the same mentality, but of course it was a big game. It was great for us to get the aggregate lead for the next game."

Liverpool vs. Leicester City – English Premier League 2015-16 season – Match live stream, News, Odds, Prediction, Live Commentary

In 26^th December of this year, League leader Leicester City will play against Liverpool at Anfield. This will be the 18^thmatch for both and first meeting of the season as well. Match will kick off at 21:00 BST, 15:00 GMT on match day. Watch this match from home at below tv network and also from Anfield by online ticket on match day.

Match Details:          

League                        :           English Premier League (2015-16 season)

Day                             :           Saturday

Kick Date                    :           26^th December 2015

Match                          :           Liverpool vs. Leicester City

Stadium                       :           Anfield (Liverpool)

Kickoff                      :           21:00 BST, 15:00 GMT

TV Broadcasting List:

• QQ Sports Live
• Idman TV
• Star Sports 4 Asia
• beIN Sports Arabia 1 HD
• ESPN Play Latin America

Since 1908 there have 82 head to head among 18 English League title winner Liverpool with Leicester City. And their most recent meeting was on last season Premier League. First match of them on last season won by Liverpool and their 2^nd and last match of league season finished after 2-2 goals drawn. In total their have 30 victory for Leicester City and Liverpool won 32 matches against Leicester City. As their have 20 drawn match as well. Leicester City won their most recent match with Liverpool at 2000-01 season at home by 2-0 goals.

But this season Leicester City is moving ahead with and magical power. They have only one defeats on the season with league most 11 victory and 5 drawn. Also scored most 37 goals in league and there conceded only 24 goals.

Liverpool Squad:

N Clyne, R Firmino, Lucas Leiva, Daniel Sturridge, J Sinclair, J Enrique, Adam Lallana, P Coutinho, Jordan Henderson (captain), N Clyne, Joe Allen, Kolo Toure, J Milner, Joe Gomez, Mamadou Sakho, D Lovren, Ryan McLaughlin.

Leicester City Squad:

Kasper Schmeichel (vice-captain), Wes Morgan (captain), Marc Albrighton, Dean Hammond, Robert Huth, N’Golo Kante, Jeff Schlupp, , Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Ritchie De Laet, Matty James, Danny Simpson, Andrej Kramaric, Shinji Okazaki David Nugent.

Team                                      MP      W        D         L         GF      GA      GD      P

Leicester City                          17        11        5          1          37        24        +13      38

Liverpool                                 17        6          6          5          20        22        -2         24

Premier League half-term awards

We’re almost halfway through the Premier League campaign and it feels like a good time to be picking out the performances that have stood out for us so far. Rather than just rattling through a laundry list of stats, we thought that dishing out some awards - admittedly imaginary ones - would better illustrate the players and teams who have already made this season one of the more interesting in recent years.

Constant threat: team award

The first award is for the team that keeps on asking questions of their opponents’ defence. In third place with an average of 15.3 shots per match, Spurs look to be finally evolving into a credible top-four contender after repeated false dawns. Mauricio Pochettino’s side are actually the most accurate finishers in the division, getting 40.4% of their shots on target, but there are two sides who take aim at goal more often. In second place are current title favourites Manchester City with 17.1 shots per match, and Manuel Pellegrini’s men also get the most shots on target, averaging 6.5 per game so far this season. They are pipped to a first gong here though by a resurgent Arsenal who have racked up a whopping 17.3 attempts at goal per match.

Constant threat: player award

Arsenal’s transformation into their current shot-happy selves owes much to Arsene Wenger’s recruitment of the seemingly tireless Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean star has led from the front since moving to London and comes in third here with an average of 4.42 shots at goal for every 90 minutes he has played in the Premier League this season. Second is a much more familiar face: that of Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, who has averaged 4.69 shots every 90 minutes but struggled to stay on the pitch once again. Coincidentally it is the injury problems of another player that have seen our winner top this category: Philippe Coutinho has stepped up for Liverpool during Daniel Sturridge’s latest absence, firing in an average of 4.72 shots per 90 minutes.

Sharpshooter: team award

So far we’ve focused on quantity, but what about quality? Our next award highlights the teams who have made the most of the chances that fell their way rather than just peppering the goal with shots. In third we have West Ham, who have started much more brightly than expected after last season’s forgettable campaign and converted 12.7% of their attempts on goal. The Hammers, though, fall some way short of the two most clinical sides in the division: in second we have an Everton side, spearheaded by the prolific combination of Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu, that has found the net with 14.7% of their shots. Just edging them are current leaders Leicester with 14.8%: the Foxes are the only top-flight side to have scored in every one of their competitive matches his season.

Sharpshooter: player award

For the player version of this award we have excluded penalties from the analysis to make it a bit fairer, as being your side’s regular spot-kick taker confers a massive advantage. In third we have the man who is both showing his worth to Everton and making Chelsea look foolish for letting him leave: Lukaku has netted with 11 of his 50 shots this season for a conversion rate of 22%. Ahead of him is one of the few players who cannot be blamed for Swansea’s dreadful season so far. Andre Ayew doesn’t shoot that often - with 24 shots he has fired in less than half of Lukaku’s total despite both players spending an almost identical amount of time on the pitch - but his six goals give him a 25% conversion rate. Way out in front is another star performer seemingly surrounded by ineptitude: Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum has scored seven times from just 22 attempts, which equates to a 31.8% conversion rate. Without his goals there is a feeling that Steve McClaren would have already been hounded out of St James’ Park.

Formidable barrier: team award

It is one thing to batter down your opponents’ defences, but we have to acknowledge the less glamourous role of stopping them from doing the same to you. Spurs’ resurgence this season owes much to their back line, which has soaked up an impressive average of 14.6 shots for each goal conceded. There is an even more dogged defence operating south of the River Thames however, with an average of 16 shots required to breach Crystal Palace. Edging past the Eagles to claim this award though are Mark Hughes’ Stoke with 16.2. Having kept both Chelsea and Manchester City out this season, confidence is clearly high among the Potters’ rearguard.

Formidable barrier: player award

This one’s for the goalkeepers - specifically any custodian who has made 10 or more appearances in the Premier League this season - and we’re judging them based on the percentage of shots on target that they have saved. In third we have Arsenal’s only summer signing, Petr Cech, who has already proved an astute hire after adding a much-needed dose of dependability between the sticks with 74.5% of shots saved. In second place, Jack Butland’s bid to take the place of Joe Hart in the England side continues to go well: Stoke have him to thank for winning the previous award and he wasn’t far from picking up a gong of his own here after dealing with 77% of shots fired at him. In first place sits perhaps the only beneficiary of Manchester United’s boring new look: David De Gea. The Spanish keeper - seemingly destined for Real Madrid in the summer until a bizarre episode of administrative incompetence saw the deal fall through - has kept out 78.4% of the few goal-bound shots that have found their way past United’s ‘safety first’ tactics.

Bruiser: team award

While outperforming your opponents in either attack or defence is one way to win a game of football, we can’t ignore the celebrated English tradition of kicking the other side into submission. They aren’t out-shooting many teams this season, but Manchester United have racked up 183 fouls: the third most in the top flight. Marginally ahead of them are Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace, whose players are clearly emulating their manager’s combative approach with 187 offences but thankfully stopping short of trying to headbutt anybody. Neither can hold a candle to Tottenham’s 202: Spurs have committed more fouls than their opponents in 11 of their 15 games so far - the highest of any Premier League side - and have also received the most bookings with 34.

Bruiser: player award

For the player version of this award we’ve looked at who is committing fouls the most often and only considering players who have been penalised at least 20 times this season. In third place is Morgan Schneiderlin, who has upended an average of 2.44 opponents in every 90 minutes spent screening Manchester United’s defence. Over at old rivals Liverpool, Lucas Leiva is demolishing attackers at a slightly higher rate of 2.54, but neither is keeping referees busier than our surprise winner. You would not think it from looking at him, but the award goes to Erik Lamela - the most prolific source of all those Tottenham fouls - with 2.97 per 90 minutes.

Victim: team award

There is no such thing as a victimless crime in football, so it is only fair that we consider the other side of the fouling equation. West Ham secure another bronze medal here, having suffered 187 fouls so far this season and having only out-fouled their opponents twice in 15 games: the lowest in the division. Ahead of them are Swansea with 191 who, like the Hammers, have seen four opposing players sent off this season: the joint highest. Given his new-found love of statistics, Jose Mourinho will be delighted to see Chelsea take the award with 202 fouls suffered. While this appears to lend weight to one of his many conspiracy theories, his side have seen their opponents booked more than any other side, with 41 yellow cards dished out for fouls on the Blues, so there has been some justice meted out at least.

Victim: player award

As we did for those doing the fouling, when we’ve totted up the award for the most regularly fouled player we’ve only looked at those who have already drawn at least 20 blasts from the referee’s whistle this term. In third place is Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been carded more times than he’s hit the back of the net so far this season, but also drawn an average of 2.95 fouls per 90 minutes. In second we have Southampton’s mercurial Sadio Mane, who has been upended at a rate of 3.25 times per 90 minutes, but our winner is some distance ahead. It is no surprise that Dwight Gayle is spending a lot of time on the treatment table: the Crystal Palace striker has been sent sprawling a whopping 4.56 times for every 90 minutes spent on the pitch: that’s around once every 20 minutes!

Data correct as at December 11 2015

How Can Jurgen Klopp Improve His Liverpool Squad Without Spending Millions?

Sunday's 3-0 defeat away to Watford provided Jurgen Klopp with another dose of realism as he contends with life in the Premier League, closing in on his third month in charge of Liverpool. The German will have been fully aware of the challenges he would face on replacing the outgoing Brendan Rodgers in October, but the multitude of flaws on show at Vicarage Road underlined significant room for improvement on Merseyside.

But, according to the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe, this is unlikely to see Klopp add to his squad in the January transfer window, despite reported moves for both Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic and Schalke defender Joel Matip in the offing:

Klopp was already working on moves for a midfielder and centre-half which, although completed next month, will not bring the players to the club until next summer.

[...]

Liverpool’s hierarchy are ready to make further funds available immediately if the new manager makes a request, but Klopp has made it known he wants to give his squad the rest of the campaign to prove themselves.

With a League Cup semi-final on the immediate horizon the latest setbacks are seen as inevitable bumps in the road as the new manager makes a more thorough assessment of his long-term needs.

This may disappoint supporters itching for a major squad overhaul in the winter, but Klopp has long stood as a bastion of frugality, preferring to mould talented players into a cohesive, successful unit—as he proved during his time at Borussia Dortmund, rarely sanctioning big-money signings. The 48-year-old has a belief in his current crop, and suppressing expectation for the season may be for the best in the long term.

Nevertheless, as Philippe Coutinho told David Lynch of the club'sofficial website this week, Liverpool are a club with perennial aspirations to secure silverware, saying "we're all focused on fighting for the trophies and I think we have a great chance in the competitions we're in this year."

So how can Klopp improve his squad without significant spending, both in January and moving into the future?

Training-Ground Work

Klopp's arrival at Liverpool brought speculation from all angles as to how he was going to change his side's approach on the field of play, with the famed high-intensity, attacking football of his seven-year reign at Dortmund at the forefront, with supporters frantically researching terms such as "gegenpressing."

As with any change in manager, Klopp's appointment saw a change in emphasis at Liverpool's training ground, as Alberto Moreno explained at the beginning of December.

"With Klopp the training sessions are all about tactics, in order to have the team well-positioned on the pitch, and to know how and when to press," he told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope (h/tKristian Walsh in the Liverpool Echo). "He doesn’t do games or things like that. It’s all tactical. It’s what he likes and what we work."

Though Moreno went on the describe these sessions as "boring," the Spaniard highlighted the Reds' immediate improvement as testimony to their worth, saying "they are the ones that give results on the pitch."

Moreno is not the only player to discuss Klopp's work on the training field following his arrival, with Dejan Lovren going into more depth in a recent interview reported by David Lynch of the club's official website:

He certainly has strong ideas and we have noticed a difference.

Each manager has a different way of training and his own thoughts on how he wants us to play. I believe we have adapted very quickly as a squad. 

We are definitely working hard on the training ground but now it is all about the mentality. I think the English and the Germans are different in this aspect. 

It is a big thing to change, but I think the stats and so on show that we have been doing okay with Jurgen so far.

As Bascombe discussed, Klopp's training methods have largely resulted in an improved performance on the field—particularly in terms of Liverpool's distance run as a collective; something that Klopp focusses heavily on.

"Liverpool’s running statistics were elevated to impressive levels beyond 115 kilometres (71 miles) per game when Klopp took over in October," he detailed, "but the German coach will be perturbed to discover a significant drop against Watford, where Liverpool’s players covered 107.5 kilometres (67 miles) in the 3-0 defeat."

Typically, Liverpool are running further, tackling harder and attacking with more vibrancy than the latter months of Rodgers' spell in charge, but as Bascombe attests, the defeat to Watford underlines a lack of consistency at this stage.

This may well be due to a fatigue pervading the squad, and this is something Klopp could address when it comes to his more injury-prone talents, with training regimes potentially tailored to certain individuals, with both Daniel Sturridge and Mamadou Sakho—key players under Klopp and central to any future success—particularly susceptible to muscular injuries that could be linked to overexertion.

On the whole, however, the German's good work should continue, and it can be argued that the Reds' Vicarage Road loss was more to do with their mentality than their physical conditioning.

Foster a Winning Mentality

Speaking to Talksport's Stan Collymore after Sunday's victory over Liverpool, Watford striker and captain Troy Deeney said:

The most impressive thing about our performance today is that we bullied them. They just didn’t fancy the fight.

We scored after a few minutes which settled the nerves and then we dominated. [Martin] Skrtel went off, he didn’t fancy it, and it was a great victory.

We’ve shown we’re not scared of anybody. We were written off by everybody at the start of the season. We’ve had all these questioned fired at us, 'can we score goals, are we good enough for the Premier League, can we avoid relegation', and we’ve answered them tenfold.

 

As Deeney suggests, Liverpool underestimated the Hornets, and the brutish Englishman, along with two-goal star Odion Ighalo and the likes of Etienne Capoue, Almen Abdi and Nathan Ake, overran the Reds as a result.

Liverpool showed no steel, with disappointing contributions from a number of senior players such as Skrtel, Lucas Leiva—both at fault for Ighalo's first goal—Adam Lallana and even Coutinho, who told the club's official website in November that "though I’m young, I feel like a senior player now."

Juxtaposed miserably by the increasingly animated, immeasurably passionate Klopp on the touchline, the German's squad crumbled under pressure from a hardworking Watford outfit. This is something that he will look to avoid in the future, and to do so, Klopp must foster a winning mentality at Liverpool.

So far under Klopp, Liverpool's away form has been substantially improved, with big victories at Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton underlining just how devastating the German's sides can be when in full flow, and as Coutinho, Lallana and Roberto Firmino tore apart City at the Etihad Stadium, Klopp will have been encouraged by their ruthless streak.

This is something seen in flashes in the 2-2 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion, too, with Divock Origi's late, long-range equaliser sparking a deafening reaction from the stands, with the Anfield support finally reaching Klopp's expectations.

The German rewarded their efforts by herding his side over to the Kop to salute them at full-time, and Liverpool need more of this as he looks to unite a fractured club.

This was a symbol of a restored belief, and while defeat to Watford may have betrayed this as superficial, these slow steps are what Klopp must continue to take to ensure his side develop that winning mentality—a belief, reinforced by supporters, that they can triumph in adversity.

As a long-term measure, however, it may be that Klopp will be required to add to his squad.

Trawl the Free-Transfer Market

As his time at Dortmund proved, Klopp is a purveyor of the bargain signing, with Ilkay Gundogan, Nuri Sahin, Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Lukasz Piszczek, Mats Hummels, Sven Bender, Kevin Grosskreutz, Neven Subotic and Felipe Santana all joining the club for below £5 million.

Each went on to play a key role under Klopp, with the free-transfer signing of Piszczek serving as a reminder of the benefits of trawling the market for expiring contracts and free agents.

This looks set to continue at Liverpool, with Klopp's projected move for Matip, on the expiry of his current deal with Schalke, representing a shrewd move by the German; a versatile, 24-year-old defender, Matip can strengthen Klopp's squad in a number of positions without breaking the bank.

If Matip joins the Reds in the summer, this is one to be followed, as the free-transfer market will be a fruitful one.

Experienced talents such as Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli, Sevilla's Ever Banega and Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic would boost Klopp's squad significantly, while Marseille centre-back Nicolas N'Koulou would provide Klopp with the ideal partner for Sakho at centre-back.

N'Koulou's team-mate, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, has suffered a drop in form in recent seasons, but could be drafted in to bolster Klopp's options between the sticks, with both Simon Mignolet and Adam Bogdan lacking the quality required to thrive in the long term;Fiorentina left-back Marcos Alonso would be a similar risk, but the Spaniard would offer much-needed competition for Moreno on that defensive flank.

Meanwhile, with one eye on the future, Partizan Belgrade winger Andrija Zivkovic (19), Feyenoord's European Golden Boy nominee Tonny Vilhena (20), Leeds United's Sam Byram (22) and River Plate centre-back Eder Alvarez Balanta (22) are all young players with potential to star at the top level of European football—all approaching the end of their current deals.

Moving to sign any of these prospective free agents would allow Klopp to flesh out his squad without sanctioning a big-money outlay—providing a stark contrast to Rodgers' reign, with a potential £32.5 million mistake looming over his successor in Christian Benteke.

Recent results may have dampened spirits on Merseyside, but with a few sensible tweaks, Klopp can continue to improve his side.

Crucially, this can be done without wasting millions in the transfer market.