Just what does the FA Cup have to do to catch a break? Last year, Liverpool faced much the same situation as they find themselves in today: fighting on all fronts has forced Jurgen Klopp to rest players for an FA Cup tie against lower league opposition only to suffer a draw and a replay just before a League Cup semi final.

The difference this time is that Liverpool don’t have the Europa League to contend with – but given they are still in the title race, that evens out the number of competitions Jurgen Klopp seems to care about.

The first reaction to Liverpool’s surprise draw is, probably, to wonder why Klopp picked that team in the first place. We can all understand the concept of a manager not taking the FA Cup seriously, but it’s more difficult to understand why he’d rest some of his players from a weakened squad only to have to undergo yet another game of football when that skeleton squad fails to beat Football League minnows.

The answer to that probably lies in the realisation of just how seriously Klopp actually takes the FA Cup, or so it would seem. This is the German’s second stab at the competition, his second third round tie, and the second time his reserves have been used: it would be charitable to call such a callow side ‘second string’.

That means that it’s probably unlikely that we’ll see a full strength Liverpool side in the replay, unless Klopp’s objective is truly qualification to the next round. At the moment, it just looks like his objective is to keep his players fresh.

If that’s the case, and few, if any, senior players take to the field in the replay, then Klopp will not have lost anything, he will achieved his goal. Because although Liverpool will have had an extra game crammed into their busy schedule, the players they rely on won’t. They’ll be as fresh as they would have been without the replay.

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There is still an issue, an inconvenience, as far as the replay is concerned, though. And that’s the amount of time Klopp will have to be able to prepare his side for the games he clearly cares more about: league games and the EFL Cup semi final, a tie played over two legs.

Instead of working only with his senior players to get them ready for the big games over the next few weeks, Klopp will also have to work with his players on an FA Cup replay – not to mention actually travel to Plymouth, which takes a full day out of his preparations.

That’s an extreme version of events. Perhaps Klopp does care about the FA Cup, so long as he can get to March without playing a full strength side. Perhaps Klopp does want to progress and doesn’t mind the extra game, given that staying in the competition is still preferable to going out. But you wouldn’t know that from looking at his team selection on Sunday.

If Liverpool are to go out of the FA Cup, Klopp will probably feel some sort of disappointment that his ideal scenario has gone out of the window: namely that Liverpool can get through to the latter stages of the FA Cup whilst still resting players and winning the League Cup. But if they do, he’ll take solace in the fact that he’s given his side the best possible chance of closing down Chelsea and winning a domestic trophy. Or at least, it’ll be that way in his mind, anyway.

Jurgen Klopp may look on the FA Cup with disdain, but in reality, it is timing and not prestige that forces his hand. To him, all he wants is a fit squad. But having to take time out of his schedule to deal with a cup replay he doesn’t seem to care about could be detrimental to rest of his whole season.

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As we discussed at the start of the month, Celtic had been hot on the heels of FC Krasnodar’s highly-rated midfielder Kouassi Eboue.

After a protracted signing process that required work permit appeals and medicals, Celtic today finally announced they’d landed their man subject to final confirmation of his government visa.

The Ivorian midfielder will wear the number 88 shirt, made famous by Gary Hooper during his spell at the club.

He’s already met his teammates, flying out to join them in Dubai for their Winter training camp. He’s since left to fly to Moscow and then on to the UK, with his visa requiring him to enter the country from Russia.

As reported by the BBC, the deal to bring him to Glasgow was worth around £3m, a not insignificant amount of money in Scottish football terms.

The 19-year old has the chance to make his debut when Celtic are next in action on 22nd January, away to Albion Rovers in the 4th Round of the Scottish Cup.

The signing has of course delighted Celtic fans and they took to twitter to share their joy…

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Coming up this weekend is a Premier League clash that should leave you salivating at the mouth (where else would you salivate from) and desperate for more.

Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City’s first meeting of the season back in October was about as entertaining and energetic as it gets, as Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs brought their high-pressing game to a whole new level against a Pep Guardiola side desperate to play it out of the back.

We’re expecting the reverse this weekend – Football FanCast’s Fixture in Focus – to live up to the 2-0 at White Hart Lane, with the sides now separated by just three points and three places in the Premier League table heading into the 5.30pm kickoff at the Etihad Stadium.

In fact, there’s so little to choose between City and Spurs these days that we felt compelled to ask Sky-Blues supporters an intriguing question earlier this week; which Spurs stars would you love to poach from Pochettino’s pocket?

Well, the results are now in and FFC can exclusively reveal the top five which, surprisingly enough, doesn’t include Tottenham’s habitual headline grabbers Harry Kane and Dele Alli. So who did the City fans pick instead?

5. Kieran Trippier

We expected full-backs to be a common theme amongst Man City fans’ selections, simply due to the fact the Citizens are in dire need of an overhaul on both defensive flanks. Nonetheless, understudy right-back Kieran Tripper making the top five certainly comes as some surprise to Football FanCast. To give credit where it’s due, however, the 26-year-old, who learned his trade in the City youth ranks, is a talented player – just one unfortunate enough to find himself trying to push Kyle Walker out of the starting XI.

4. Danny Rose

From one side of the pitch to the other, Manchester City fans have clearly taken note of Danny Rose’s impressive rise over the last few seasons. The one-time Spurs misfit is now England’s undisputed choice at No.3 and widely revered as one of the best left-backs in Europe, boasting tenacity off the ball, decent output at the other end and the relentless energy to tie it all together. The idea of Rose joining Pep Guardiola’s City revolution is nothing new, the latest reports coming from ESPN, and it appears City supporters would back such a swoop.

3. Christian Eriksen

Few teams in Europe rival City’s quality across the attacking midfield berth but nonetheless, supporters appear keen to find some room for the in-form Christian Eriksen. The Danish ace has consistently demonstrated his talent since arriving in the Premier League in summer 2013 but there’s been something almost talismanic about his performances of late, conjuring up five goals and six assists in his last ten appearances across all competitions. The 24-year-old is steadily moving towards his footballing peak and City fans seem eager to snap him up for his best years.

2. Toby Alderweireld

One can only imagine the soothing effect Toby Alderweireld, one of the coolest customers in the Premier League, would have on Manchester City’s ever-chaotic backline. Indeed, in addition to being arguably the division’s top defender, combining physicality and aerial prowess with Pep Guardiola-favoured quality on the ball, he’s also undoubtedly the most composed, always making the right call when it comes down to playing out of trouble or simply hoofing clear. He’d be the ideal presence alongside John Stones but after signing him only two summers ago, Spurs certainly aren’t in the mood to sell.

1. Kyle Walker

It always seemed inevitable Kyle Walker would take a place in this top five after already mentioning Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier and the England international will be delighted to discover he claimed top spot in our poll. Once again, that’s not much of a surprise – City desperately require fresh blood at full-back and the former Sheffield United youngster has been the Premier League’s best this season, particularly impressing in his new-found right wing-back role. Some still query his consistency at the other end but a return of five goals in 20 outings already this season is hard to argue with.

CLICK THROUGH TO THE NEXT PAGE TO SEE THE RESULTS IN FULL

Results

Everton boss Ronald Koeman is not willing to sanction a departure for Phil Jagielka today, no matter what happens concerning incoming deals at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Following weeks of speculation linking Everton captain Phil Jagielka with a reunion with former Toffees boss David Moyes, Dutch manager Ronald Koeman has insisted his club captain will not be sold under any circumstances.

The Mirror report the stance will not change even if Everton succeed in their advances to sign Michael Keane from Burnley, with the Toffees currently locked in negotiations with the Clarets to try and sign the England U21 international.

Whatever happens though, 34-year-old Jagielka will be going nowhere today, despite limited football this season.

What was said?

Asked by reporters if Jagielka would leave on Deadline Day, Ronald Koeman said:

“No, No. No, because we need more than 11 players. I spoke to Phil and he accepts it — we spoke about his position and the need to fight like everybody who is not involved or starting because we need competition.”

“We have a squad and those not starting need to fight. We need competition. I understand it’s difficult, he’s the captain, but we like to keep him because he can play an important role to the end of the season.”

The right move?

Despite Jagielka’s reduced playing time at Everton, with the Toffees regularly fielding Ashley Williams and Ramiro Funes Mori ahead of the England international, keeping Jagielka at Goodison Park is certainly the right move.

The 34-year-old does have limited time left in him, and would be expected to leave this summer, but removing the club-captain from the squad halfway through the season is a scenario that everyone would like to avoid.

Jagielka’s experience will have a huge impact other the younger players in the squad and that’s as valuable as performances on the field, as he can help craft the next generation of stars on Merseyside.

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Hearts vs. Hibs is a fixture that never fails to capture the imagination of Scottish football fans. Often a match full of passion, excitement and drama, it’s also liable to produce a wonder-goal or two for good measure.

When the two meet in the cup, the knockout format adds an extra dimension to the match-up and that will be no different when the two sides face off in the Fifth Round of the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle on Sunday.

With an expected sell-out crowd, it’s certainly the most intriguing fixture of the round and one that all eyes will be on.

An interesting tactical battle will take place with rookie manager Ian Cathro taking on Neil Lennon, a man with years’ more experience both as a player and as a manager.

Cathro has had a mixed start as Hearts boss, initially finding results hard to come by. In recent weeks his side have flourished and impressive back-to-back victories against Rangers and Motherwell have Jambos fans dreaming of good times ahead.

For Lennon? It’s a chance to pick up a massive derby victory in his first crack at Hearts and continue Hibs’ defence of the Scottish Cup that they treasure so much.

Where will the match be won and lost?

These are the THREE key battles on the pitch on Sunday…

Aaron Hughes vs. Jason Cummings

Jason Cummings has scored in his last four Edinburgh derbies, the first time a Hibs player has done that since 1974. It’s a remarkable feat and he’ll fancy his chances of making it five given his form this season.

Hibs’ top scorer this term, he has six goals in his last six appearances, including a double in the last round, at Tynecastle against junior side Bonnyrigg Rose. The hosts on Sunday will be a lot tougher but if Hibs are to get a result, it’ll likely come through this man.

The task of stopping him will fall to former Newcastle and Fulham man Aaron Hughes, a January signing for Ian Cathro.

With 17 years of experience in the English Premier League, two in the Championship and over 100 caps for his country, the Northern Irishman has a vast bank of footballing knowledge to help counteract the young Hibs upstart. Despite his advancing years, he’s looked a solid choice so far but in the high tempo nature of an Edinburgh Derby, can he remain as calm and collected as ever?

Jamie Walker vs. David Gray

Jamie Walker has been a Scottish Premiership sensation this season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions so far, one of the best records in the entire division.

Perhaps his most notable performance so far was his wonderful double against Rangers at Tynecastle last week, giving Ian Cathro the first big win since joining the club.

After game Cathro singled him out and tipped him to become a future Scotland international and to have a career down in England.

Quoted by The Daily Record, Cathro said:

“He’s a talent. He feels the game, he understands it. He just knows. He feels when somebody is coming in or this space opens or closes. He just feels football.”

High praise indeed. That’s all well in good but in David Gray, Hibernian have found a Scottish Cup folk hero – It was his last-minute header that gave Hibs their first Scottish Cup win in 114 years. The Cabbage’s captain will face one of his toughest tests of the season so far on Sunday but who’d bet against him putting in another winning performance?

Esmael Goncalves vs. Darren McGregor

Esmael Goncalves is a new arrival at Hearts but has already proven to be a key missing part of the Jambos’ performances this season. They’ve been crying out for an effective presence through the middle in the final third and his showings against Rangers and Motherwell suggest he’ll be very effective indeed.

He scored a double against Motherwell at the weekend and led the line superbly against Mark Warburton’s side at Tynecastle last week. He now has the opportunity to make himself a real hero with the Hearts supporters by scoring against their city rivals.

He’ll be up against a very consistent Hibernian defence, a defence, in fact, that is the stingiest in British league football. They’ve conceded just twelve goals in 23 league matches this term.

At the heart of that has been the popular Darren McGregor, a former team-mate of Goncalves’ at St Mirren in 2013. The two didn’t play together due to severe injury suffered by McGregor but he’ll know all about the ability the Hearts striker possesses.

It promises to be just one of a number of very interesting match-ups on Sunday.

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona raised some eyebrows when he named an ex-Liverpool rival as the best footballer that he has ever played with.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Frenchman told the audience at his one-man show at the Bournemouth International Centre that Gary McAllister was his best ever teammate.

The pair played alongside one another at Leeds United when they went on to win the league title in the 1991-92 season.

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The Scotsman left the Whites in 1996 to join Coventry City for a four-year spell before signing for United’s arch rivals Liverpool in 2000.

Cantona’s spell at Leeds was brief as United came calling in 1992 and the Frenchman became a club legend over five years at the North-West outfit.

He played alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane, but the 50-year-old picked McAllister as his favourite teammate.

Cantona’s response was not warmly received by the crowd as pockets of boos rung around the venue.

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Steve McClaren ended his second spell in charge of Derby County with a whimper following his side’s 3-0 defeat to promotion hopefuls Brighton last Friday.The Rams announced the managerial shift on Sunday night after the team won just two of their last 10 Championship games.McClaren leaves the club 10 points adrift of the playoff places, and now the statistics have shown how dismal the ex-England player’s second stint was.As WhoScored highlights in the tweet below, only two teams – Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rotherham United – have collected fewer points in the past six weeks.

Derby gathered just six points, which is a staggering 16 less than Huddersfield Town, who have picked up the most since the start of February.

Let’s not forget that McClaren spent 20 months at Pride Park before he was sacked in May 2015, and even though he was sent packing, he had a better record than the second time around.

As @Raj_sport from Squawka reveals, the 55-year-old’s win ratio during his first stint in charge was 44% higher than his second.

His team also conceded more goals per game in the last five months, which indicates that the writing was always on the wall.

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Manchester United fans have called on manager Jose Mourinho to make a summer swoop for Romelu Lukaku following the latest speculation surrounding the Everton striker.

The Telegraph reports that the Belgian international has rejected a £140,000-a-week contract at Goodison Park, despite his agent Mino Raiola stating numerous times that a deal was close to being agreed.

The 23-year-old still has two years left on his current contract, but these latest reports are sure to alert potential suitors.

United have been linked to Lukaku in the past, while Chelsea, who sold the striker to Everton in 2014, have also been listed as an option.

The Belgian is proving that he can thrive at the top level having scored 19 Premier League goals this season, which has put him joint top with Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane in the division’s scoring stakes.

After the latest reports emerged, many United fans took to Twitter to call on their club to bring in Lukaku.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently the Red Devils’ main man up top, but it is uncertain whether the Swede will still be at Old Trafford next season.

Sheffield Wednesday will look to put an end to their stuttering form and cement their place in the Championship’s play-off positions when they face Yorkshire rivals Barnsley at Oakwell on Saturday.

The Owls head into the clash in sixth spot, but they are just one point above seventh-placed Fulham after winning only one of their last seven league games.

Carlos Carvalhal’s men come into the encounter against the Tykes on the back of two consecutive 2-0 defeats against Aston Villa and at home to Reading last time out, but it certainly won’t be an easy task to get back to winning ways.

Paul Heckingbottom’s men are 11th in the standings, despite this being a season in which they have lost some of their key players to divisional rivals. That said, they are also without a win in six matches.

Here are THREE Barnsley players that could dent Wednesday’s play-off hopes this weekend…

Tom Bradshaw

The 24-year-old striker may only be in his debut season in the Championship after moving to Oakwell from Walsall last summer, but he has impressed, scoring eight goals in 34 league appearances this term.

He has had to step up to plate even more following Sam Winnall’s departure to Sheffield Wednesday during the January transfer window, but with three strikes in his last seven games, he is going some way to doing that for the mid-table Tykes.

Marley Watkins

Like Bradshaw, Watkins has also scored eight Championship goals this season and comes into this Yorkshire derby having netted twice in his side’s last five league fixtures.

Following the departures of Winnall and captain Conor Hourihane during the January transfer window, the 26-year-old knew that he needed to help replace the goals the Tykes lost with those departures, and he will certainly look to give Owls left-back Morgan Fox something to think about at Oakwell on Saturday.

Matty James

Following the departure of Hourihane to Aston Villa in January, Paul Heckingbottom tried to plug the hole by signing Alex Mowatt from Leeds and James on loan from Leicester City, and it is perhaps the latter who has been more impressive so far.

The 25-year-old was named as the man of the match after assisting Marley Watkins for his goal in the 1-1 draw against Ipswich earlier this month, while he also got on the scoresheet in the 2-1 defeat to Derby County.

Arsenal are reportedly ready to make a move for Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye according to The Mirror, as the under pressure Arsene Wenger looks to strengthen his underperforming squad.

The Toffees only signed the 27-year-old from Aston Villa last summer for £7.1m, and he has gone on to establish himself as one of the best in his position in the Premier League this term.

The Ivory Coast international has made more tackles than any other player in the top flight this term, and the story suggests that he is also attracting interest from Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho following his impressive performances in the middle of the park.

Gunners supporters were quick to have their say on the link with the Ivorian via social media, with many saying that they would prefer to have him over Francis Coquelin as he could make a real difference to the team defensively.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the rumoured interest…