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The 2 Robbies: Mourinho criticizes his players’ attitude

By Andy EdwardsSep 22, 2018, 8:45 PM EDT
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Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earle get stuck into an eventful Saturday in the Premier League. They ask who is responsible for the questionable attitude of Jose Mourinho’s men (00:30), comment on Mauricio Pochettino and his methods at Spurs (14:00), recap comfortable wins for Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola (19:00), and wrap up by reviewing the four new managerial appointees and who is top of the class (28:00).

Join Earle & Mustoe on The 2 Robbies Football Show, Saturdays at 5pm ET. Listen on the NBCSports Radio App and call 855-323-4622 in the U.S. for lively passionate debate.

All of the The 2 Robbies content can be accessed by clicking on this link:

[ Click here for The 2 Robbies archive ]

Follow them on Twitter @The2Robbies

Transfer news: Sarr to Liverpool, Man United

Ismaila Sarr to Liverpool
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By Joe Prince-WrightSep 18, 2020, 10:19 AM EDT
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The latest transfer news sees Ismaila Sarr to Liverpool and Ismaila Sarr to Manchester United among the main reports.

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So, the two bitter rivals are set to battle for Watford and Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr. Let’s roll!

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Liverpool are willing to pay $46 million for Sarr. However, a report from The Independent states that Sarr is an alternative option if Manchester United can’t sign Jadon Sancho.

Would Ismaila Sarr to Liverpool or Ismaila Sarr to Manchester United make more sense?

Starting with Liverpool, they obviously have their star three forwards in Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. After that, Sarr is an upgrade on their current back-up options of Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri, plus youngsters Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.

Sarr is also close friends with his countryman and Liverpool star Mane, and the 22-year-old showed enough promise in his debut Premier League season (five goals, four assists in 22 PL starts) to suggest he can make the step up to playing for a top six team.

He only arrived at recently relegated Watford last summer from Rennes and is a target for plenty of the big boys. Sarr has end product to his game and scored twice in Watford’s shock 3-0 win against Liverpool.

As for Sarr to Manchester United, it is stated that “intermediaries are understood to have made initial enquiries” as they line up deals if they don’t sign top target Sancho this summer.

It is clear Sarr is to good to be playing in the second tier in England this season and after he adapted to life in the Premier League the Senegalese winger was always a threat.

Let’s see who wins this battle as Sarr would significantly upgrade the secondary options for both Liverpool and Manchester United.

Gonzalo Higuain to Inter Miami confirmed

Gonzalo Higuain to Inter Miami
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By Joe Prince-WrightSep 18, 2020, 9:34 AM EDT
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Gonzalo Higuain to Inter Miami is official.

The Argentine superstar is finally coming to MLS. After years of speculation about Higuain, 32, joining an MLS club, his move from Juventus to Inter Miami has been confirmed and he will be a Designated Player for the Floridian franchise.

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Higuain has been handed the No. 9 jersey by the MLS side who are in their inaugural season, and David Beckham’s franchise finally have someone to finish off the chances they’ve been creating.

Now that Gonzalo Higuain to Inter Miami is official, here’s what the prolific center forward had to say.

“First of all, I want to thank Inter Miami for the effort it has made to sign me. I think it will be a beautiful experience in my life. It’s what I was looking for – a new experience, a new league and a beautiful city. I’m really happy to be here and that it’s official,” Higuain said. “My goal is to try to transmit all the experience I acquired in Europe and to help the team grow.”

“I feel good, I feel whole as a player. I’m motivated to try a new league and help the team grow. Individually, my goal is to demonstrate that I can contribute and continue playing great futbol here, and I hope I can achieve that because I have all the tools necessary to succeed. Inter Miami is a team in construction but there is already a good base to reach important goals.”

After adding Blaise Matuidi on a TAM deal last month, Inter Miami are making moves. Big time. They have yet to suffer a blowout defeat in their first season in MLS but they sit bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and have won just twice so far.

Scoring goals has been a problem for Diego Alonso’s side who have scored nine goals in their first 11 games of the 2020 season.

Scoring goals has never been a problem for Higuain. Well, except in the 2014 World Cup final…

Higuain is about as pure of a goalscorer as you can get and has proven that during a sensational 15-year career in Europe. He drifts into the perfect positions and has that knack of keeping his cool when it matters most. He scored 121 goals and added 56 assists in 264 appearances for Real Madrid before scoring 91 goals in 146 games for Napoli and 66 in 148 appearances for Juventus. Wedged in-between all of that were loan spells at Chelsea and AC Milan where he had limited success.

Still, Higuain to MLS is a big deal and defenders across the league will be wary of his clinical finishing. If the success his brother, Gonzalo, has had in MLS is anything to go by, this will be a lot of fun and will involve a lot of goals. Just what Inter Miami needed.

Southampton – Tottenham: How to watch, start time, team news, prediction, odds

Southampton - Tottenham
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By Joe Prince-WrightSep 18, 2020, 9:00 AM EDT
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Southampton – Tottenham: This will be a tight game on Sunday (Watch live at 7am ET, online via Peacock) at St Mary’s as Ralph Hasenhuttl and Jose Mourinho have locked horns three times already in 2020.

SOUTHAMPTON – TOTTENHAM STREAM LIVE

Saints have won the league game, draw an FA Cup game at home and lost the FA Cup replay away at Tottenham and all three of those games were tightly contested encounters. With Spurs having a quick turnaround given their Europa League qualifying win in Bulgaria on Thursday, plus League Cup and Europa League games next midweek, Mourinho may be forced to shuffle his pack.

After losing their opening game of the Premier League, both clubs will want to get back on track quickly.

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Here is everything you need to know ahead of Tottenham this Sunday with team news, odds, stream link and more.

Team news: Southampton – Tottenham (INJURY REPORT)

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been without Stuart Armstrong through injury, while Nathan Redmond suffered a knock in their surprising League Cup defeat to second-tier Brentford in midweek. Saints have yet to get going this season and Hasenhuttl may shake up his squad.

Mourinho has Giovani Lo Celso back in training, while there is perhaps the possibility that Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon could feature but it may be too late after their impending arrival from Real Madrid on Friday.

What they’re saying

Ralph Hasenhuttl on Southampton not being fully fit to start the season: “We are not playing quick enough at the moment. Not aggressive enough without the ball. We are not at the fitness levels we had last season. This is not surprising we had no pre-season where we could work together. But yes we should go quickly to a different level otherwise it’ll be difficult.”

Eric Dier on Tottenham’s congested fixture schedule: “If you look at the schedule, it isn’t showing any care for players’ physical welfare. It’s common sense really, trying to ask someone to play Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday. It doesn’t seem like there is any care for players’ welfare in that situation.”

Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)

Southampton are the underdogs (+210) but have matched up well against Tottenham in recent meetings. Spurs are favored (+130) but the draw (+235) looks likely in this one and Mourinho will probably take that given all of their recent games.

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Prediction

Danny Ings can cause Tottenham problems and if Saints start quickly, as they like to do, they can catch Spurs out. Tottenham will sit back and then look to hit Saints on the counter and hope the quality of Son, Kane and Co. will see them through. I’m going for a draw. 1-1.

How to watch Southampton – Tottenham stream and start time

Kickoff: 7 am ET Sunday
Online: Stream via Peacock

Chelsea – Liverpool: How to watch, start time, team news, prediction, odds

By Joe Prince-WrightSep 18, 2020, 8:24 AM EDT
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Chelsea – Liverpool: This is always one of the biggest games of the Premier League season and on Sunday (Watch live at 11:30am ET, online via Peacock) at Stamford Bridge we can expect all-out attack between these two stacked heavyweights.

CHELSEA – LIVERPOOL STREAM LIVE

Frank Lampard and Chelsea have spent close to $300 million on new players this summer and may spend even more as they look to make the leap from a top four team to title contenders. As for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, the reigning champions had a scare in their opening day win against Leeds but will know they will have plenty of chances to score against Chelsea.

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Here is everything you need to know ahead of Chelsea – Liverpool this Sunday with team news, odds, stream link and more.

Team news: Chelsea – Liverpool (INJURY REPORT)

Chelsea will be without USMNT star Christian Pulisic as Lampard revealed he suffered a minor injury setback from his hamstring issue. This game has also come too early for new signings Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva to make their debuts as they work their way towards full fitness. Timo Werner is fit after suffering a small injury on his debut.

Liverpool could have Kostas Tsimikas available as he’s back in training following a period of self-isolation after he tested positive for COVID-19. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be missing once again after he picked up a knee injury, while Xherdan Shaqiri is battling back from yet another injury. 

What they’re saying

Timo Werner believes Chelsea have similar quality to Liverpool: “We will improve game by game but now we have to play on Sunday and we try to win the game. We are playing against a strong team and they have such good players, not only Virgil van Dijk, the whole defending part of Liverpool are very good. They conceded the least goals in the league and it is a great team in every position. But we also have great players and we have the quality to beat them. It will be an interesting game.”

Jurgen Klopp on Mohamed Salah’s hat trick on the opening day against Leeds: “Of all the good performances Mo had for us obviously, this was for sure one of the better ones. So he should be proud of that because it’s very special to have these kind of numbers. ‘Long may it continue,’ I like to think in these moments, and this time I say it as well.”

Odds and ends (full odds provided by our partner, PointsBet)

Chelsea (+215) are the underdogs but Liverpool’s odds are longer (+115) than many would expect. Chelsea have done well against Liverpool in recent seasons and seem to match up with them well, and the draw (+270) would be the smart bet in this one. Both teams would take that early in the season and move on.

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Prediction

I’m going for a goalfest here and I think both teams will have plenty of chances and it’s all about who is more clinical. Liverpool will try to shore things up at the back but I think Chelsea know how to get behind them and Werner, if he’s fit, will cause problems. I’m going for 3-3. This will be a classic.

How to watch Chelsea – Liverpool stream and start time

Kickoff: 11:30 am ET Sunday
Online: Stream via Peacock