Liverpool manager Arne Slot has challenged midfielder Curtis Jones to add consistency to his game because “the best players in the world show up every three days”.
Jones has been in impressive form recently, scoring in a league win against Chelsea and providing a brilliant pass in setting up Luis Diaz for a goal in Tuesday’s 4-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
He has again been called up to the England squad for games in November. The uncapped 23-year-old was drafted in as an injury replacement at the last England camp but withdrew because of the birth of his daughter.
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“With Curtis maybe it’s not me who did it because he became a father and I had nothing to do with that,” said Slot.
“You never know if that plays a part or not but, since the moment he became a father, he started putting great performances in.
“He did it in pre-season but then his performances dropped a little bit. Since he became a father, he’s outstanding again. It might have to do a bit with that but, in general, I think it has to do with how the team plays.”
In the summer, Jones spoke about how Slot’s style of play suited him “because I can get on the ball more and be free” after the Dutchman replaced Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager.
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“He has a lot of quality on the ball,” added Slot. “He’s never afraid to do something special with it. Sometimes that leads to situations when, in my opinion, he touched that ball a bit too much because sometimes he’s a bit too over-confident.
“He combines this with an incredibly hard work-rate and we can trust him in defence. He’s quite complete but for him now it’s all about consistency. The best players in the world show up every three days.”
Liverpool are top of the Premier League table, with a two-point lead over champions Manchester City going into Saturday’s game against Aston Villa and, after four wins in four, are also top of the Champions League group in its new format this season.
Slot has guided the Reds to 14 wins in his first 16 games since replacing Slot but insists no-one at the club is getting carried away.
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“We are there to do our work and become better players on a daily basis or keep having the same level,” he said.
“It’s not the first time that this club is where it is at the moment. I think for most of these players it is a normal situation and I don’t think they get carried away at all by us being top of the league at the moment.
“They know how small the margins are when it comes to our results and the amount of points we are ahead of the other teams.”
He added: “I’m not trying to manage expectations with the squad because we don’t talk about expectations.
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“The only expectations I have is that they put the same effort in on a daily basis. That’s the only thing we focus on.”
The extent of the women’s team’s financial situation was most apparent during the summer.
Sorensen said they turned down a pre-season trip to Australia, not because of finances but logistics. However, he admitted it was “a gamble we can’t afford”.
Everton had to sell highly-rated Sweden midfielder Hanna Bennison to Juventus in order to bring in much-needed funds.
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They missed out on players in the Japanese market – who Sorensen said he had scouted years previously – because top clubs offered higher salaries.
Stringent rules on non-EU players coming to the WSL can also be a barrier for clubs like Everton. Foreign players have to meet certain requirements to be eligible to play in England and that limits the talent pool – something West Ham have also endured.
Sevilla duo Inma Gabarro and Toni Payne were among Everton’s highest-profile signings, while existing WSL-based players Honoka Hayashi, Melissa Lawley and Veatriki Sarri were seen as ‘low-risk’ options who did not need time to adapt.
Sorensen said during the summer transfer window the club “can’t just go out and spend a lot of money so we have to be super-smart”.
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In reality, the budget for the women’s team has not decreased since 2021 – when former manager Willie Kirk targeted a top-three finish.
However, the market has become more expensive since then. Transfer fees are now common, while player salaries have increased.
Everton Women’s chief executive officer Alan McTavish, director of football Kevin Thelwell and Sorensen are already working on recruitment for January – but fans are growing impatient and want the lack of squad depth addressing.
“Immediate investment in recruitment is essential. We have such a ridiculously unbalanced squad,” said supporter MacFarlane.
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“The pressure on these players is huge, especially on some of the younger players, having to play out of position all over the pitch – this simply is not good enough.”
MacFarlane also calls for future development of the club’s Walton Hall Park stadium, which he says will help “grow the fanbase and attract new supporters”.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is “planning to crush some rehab” in his recovery from two surgeries.
Kershaw posted on Instagram that he had foot and knee procedures on Wednesday. He thanked Drs. Kenneth Jung and Neal ElAttrache for performing the operations.
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“Planning to crush some rehab and be as good as can be come next year,” Kershaw posted on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Kershaw is 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA in 429 starts and three relief appearances over 17 seasons — all with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He declined a $10 million player option in favor of free agency, but he is expected to return to L.A. after vowing to do so at multiple points during and after the Dodgers’ run to a 2024 World Series championship.
Kershaw was hurt for much of last season, finishing with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA over seven starts. He was sidelined throughout the postseason.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Ravens were the favorites to win the AFC North at +110, with the Bengals just behind them at +180. The Browns were tabbed at +600 followed by the Steelers at +1100.
Ten weeks into the season, a lot has changed.
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Entering this week, Baltimore was a -185 favorite to win the division after a strong 6-3 start, followed by the Steelers at +200 after a surprising 6-2 start. The Bengals sat in third at +900 with a 4-5 record, followed by the Browns who are all but guaranteed to not have a chance at the division crown at 2-7.
But in this week’s Thursday night football matchup, it was a clash between Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow— and it did not disappoint.
The two quarterbacks combined for eight touchdown passes and over 700 yards passing, with Ja’Marr Chase hauling in 264 receiving yards and three touchdown catches for the Bengals.
Cincinnati scored with 38 seconds left in the game with a chance to tie it up with an extra point, but Zac Taylor decided to go for two to try and end the game in regulation.
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The Bengals would fail to convert, giving the Ravens a one-point win.
Let’s take a look at how the odds have changed after Baltimore’s 35-34 win, according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Nov. 8.
In summary, Baltimore’s odds to win the division shortened from -185 to -300 after Thursday’s result, while Cincinnati’s lengthened immensely— going from +900 to +3500. While the division title might be out of reach, the playoffs aren’t totally out of the question. Three teams did make the playoffs last year after a 4-6 start (Rams, Packers, Buccaneers).
Cincinnati is currently +135 to make the playoffs and -160 to miss.
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Rogers joined Middlesbrough in a £1.5m deal in July 2023 and had a mixed start to the season. Eyebrows were raised when Aston Villa paid £8m plus add-ons for him just seven months later.
“It was pretty easy when I found out the team who wanted me,” says Rogers.
“It was tough leaving Middlesbrough because it was a fresh start. I felt close to the team and coaches, but when a team like Villa comes in it is impossible to say no. Being a lad from Birmingham it was the perfect reality. I couldn’t say no.”
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After taking a few months to find his feet, this season Rogers has started all 12 of Villa’s games in the league and Champions League, including the Bayern match.
“I have always had that belief and wanted to get to the highest level of football,” he says.
“[Playing in the] Champions League – it is crazy. The feeling doesn’t wear off. To be a part of that is something I didn’t expect to happen so quickly.
“It is mad and surreal to feel I am playing against that level and calibre of player. It’s cool and exciting. I love football so much, so stuff like that still excites me.
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“The Bayern game – stars from one to 11, all of them are superstars and it was a surreal moment to think I am on the pitch with them.”
You can partake in the best of both worlds while watching Week 10 of the NFL season this weekend with our free-to-play FOX Super 6game.
How do you play? Enter the NFL Super 6 contestby predicting the correct answers to six questions before the games start for your chance at weekly cash prizes.
All you have to do is finish in the top six to win a prize.
It really is that simple, and again, it’s free.
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And if you need a little help before heading to the app to make your picks, I’ve got you covered.
Dobbins gets the best defense in the league (except when playing the Lions) in Tennessee— the Titans are holding opponents to 269.1 yards per game. Jones and Robinson have only eclipsed 100 yards once apiece this season. Harris has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games, and he gets a Washington defense allowing 143 rushing yards per game. There’s a high chance Pittsburgh plays keep-away from Jayden Daniels and that offense, too, running the ball early and often.
Prediction: Najee Harris
2. Order the teams by who will score the MOST POINTS (highest to lowest):
Is Caleb Williams good? I don’t know. I think so, but he’s been really uneven. He hasn’t thrown a TD in two games. The Patriots in Chicago should be a get-right spot for Williams and the Bears — it better be. Meanwhile, the Saints fired coach Dennis Allen, and as we know, the boost that comes with a team’s coach getting fired is real.
Mahomes has one 300-yard passing performance this season, and he’s passed for under 200 yards twice. He just hasn’t been dominant through the air this season. Herbert gets the Titans, and they allow the fewest passing yards in the NFL. The Vikings are at Jacksonville. Let’s go with Darnold, since Jacksonville has the second-worst passing defense in the league (264.3 pass yards per game allowed).
Kelce has 24 receptions in the past two weeks, including a career-high 14 in Week 9. Who saw that coming? We have to bet on Kelce, based on the fact that he proved he can still do it, and Mahomes still trusts him to do it.
Prediction: Travis Kelce
5. Order the players by who will have the MOST RECEIVING YARDS (highest to lowest):
Jennings is questionable to return from injury. Assuming he plays, we can still pass on that. Pickens will catch just about anything, as will Jefferson, but I expect a lot more passing in that Vikings-Jaguars tilt. Let’s go with the best wideout in the league.
Prediction: Justin Jefferson
6. What will be the outcome of this game?
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49ers win by 6 points or more OR Buccaneers win, tie or lose by 5 points or fewer
Is Christian McCaffrey playing this week? Is he not playing this week? That’s the main focus coming into this one. If he’s there, this Niners offense will be better in some fashion, even if he’s slightly limited. But McCaffrey aside, Tampa is on short rest after an overtime loss to K.C. on Monday, and S.F. is coming off a bye.
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Andy Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Forwards: Adam Idah (Celtic), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tom Cannon (Stoke City, on loan from Leicester City), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Festy Ebosele (Watford, on loan from Udinese), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City), Sammie Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion).
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