Tilak, the South Zone captain, is unavailable with the Asia Cup coming up and Sai Kishore hasn’t recovered from injury either

Ashish Pant31-Aug-2025South Zone have named Puducherry allrounder Ankit Sharma and Andhra top-order batter Shaik Rasheed as replacements for Tilak Varma and R Sai Kishore for the Duleep Trophy semi-final, which begins on September 4 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Tilak, who was named South Zone captain, has been included in India’s Asia Cup squad and will miss the Duleep Trophy games. As a result, Kerala wicket-keeper batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, who was initially named vice-captain, will now lead the South Zone side. Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan, who was also called up for the fifth Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy last month, has been named vice-captain.Related

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Sai Kishore, meanwhile, hasn’t recovered from the finger injury which forced him to miss the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. He hurt his finger while intercepting a M Shahrukh Khan drive in his follow-through during a first-division club match in Chennai.Ankit, 34, had the second-highest wickets for Puducherry in the 2024-25 Ranji season: 24 from seven matches at 28.95. He also scored 216 runs at 24.00. Rasheed, 20, who also turned out for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025, was Andhra’s highest run-scorer in the last Ranji season, recording 627 runs in 12 innings at 52.25, which included a double-century against Hyderabad.Both Rasheed and Ankit had originally been named in South Zone’s stand-by list.South Zone will face North Zone in the semi-final, who qualified on the basis of a first-innings lead against East Zone in the quarter-final. In the other semi-final, Central Zone will face West Zone.

South Zone squad

Mohammed Azharuddeen (capt & wk), Tanmay Agarwal, Shaik Rasheed, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohit Kale, Salman Nizar, N Jagadeesan (wk), T Vijay, Ankit Sharma, Tanay Thyagarajan, Vyshak Vijaykumar, MD Nidheesh, Ricky Bhui, Basil NP, Gurjapneet Singh, Snehal Kauthankar.

There is a lot to be positive about in West Yorkshire currently and the team’s new training kit is another thing which fans have taken a likening to.

The new-look attire has a splash of light blue but it exemplifies Leeds’ professionalism, and many fans appreciate what they see, with some talking about purchasing it.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Leeds had already released training wear in the summer, sporting a light grey outfit which has coincided with tremendous success so far, but with fans liking the style they see little reason not to purchase more.

Some fans are also interested in those captured in the new training gear. Ben White has been a fan favourite for most of the season but it is Eddie Nketiah who is attracting attention, having just returned from injury.

The Arsenal loanee spent about a month out injured but returned to make cameo appearances against Middlesbrough and Huddersfield, and his involvement is pleasing for some.

Others have simply taken the time to compliment the style and think it is a nice addition, though there has been little comparison between it and the current grey kit.

Instead, one fan has expressed their hope that it helps lead to promotion, as the grey kit has certainly been a lucky charm in that sense, and come the end of the year both could be memorable if Leeds manage to lift the Championship trophy after wearing it.

Meanwhile, Leeds fans have also been discussing an important player and the new attributes he has added to his game.

Despite unfortunately being defined by a handful of major incidents off the pitch – such as the Hillsborough and Heysel Stadium disasters and several bouts of severe football hooliganism – the 1980’s nonetheless provided the Beautiful Game with many incredible moments we certainly still cherish today.

From the old fashioned curly perm and Chuckle Brothers-esque moustache combo, to the notoriously short-shorts and classic black & white boots we’ve all come to expect from such a bygone era, this was a time in which real footballing skill was truly starting to take over.

As Brazil wowed supporters worldwide via their traditional brand of attacking flair, the likes of France and Holland among several other international powerhouses continued to excel both collectively, and on an individual level.

So then, in response to all the amazing technical brilliance and raw passionate spirit from the sport’s many die-hard followers achieved throughout this memorable decade, here are 50 of the best footballers to ply their trade in the 1980s…

50. Rafael Martin Vazquez

49. Bernd Schuster

48. Soren Lerby

47. Toninho Cerezo

46. Thomas Ravelli

45. Jorge Burruchaga

44. John Barnes

43. Careca (Antonio de Oliveira Filho)

42. Enzo Francescoli

41. Harald Schumacher

40. Falcao (Paulo Roberto)

39. Alan Hansen

38. Pierre Littbarski

37. Neville Southall

36. Bruno Conti

35. Jan Ceulemans

34. Eder (Alexio de Assis)

33. Rudi Voller

32. Manuel Amoros

31. Junior (Leovegildo Lins da Gama)

30. Andreas Brehme

29. Rinat Dasayev

28. Marco Tardelli

27. Jean Tigana

26. Ian Rush

25. Graeme Souness

24. Alain Giresse

23. Preben Elkjaer

22. Bryan Robson

21. Jean-Pierre Papin

20. Glenn Hoddle

19. Paulo Futre

18. Igor Belanov

17. Enzo Scifo

16. Ronald Koeman

15. Emilio Butragueno

14. Gary Lineker

13. Paolo Rossi

12. Zbigniew Boniek

11. Frank Rijkaard

10. Hugo Sanchez

9. Lothar Matthaus

8. Zico

7. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

6. Franco Baresi

5. Marco van Basten

4. Ruud Gullit

3. Socrates

2. Michel Platini

1. Diego Maradona

Manchester United managed their crucial win at home to CSKA Moscow tonight. No matter how it was done, you might say, the most important thing was winning.

After all, getting out of the group is all that matters. If they play better in the future, they can still win the competition.

So in some sense it’s been a good night for Manchester United. But in other ways it’s been a terrible night for the Red Devils. The fans have seen the problems facing their team rear their ugly heads once again, and amidst anger from the terraces as well as those at home with social media access, United did manage to win the game. But we’ve learnt so much about this team.

If Chelsea are facing a player revolt, Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United are facing a fan revolt. The natives aren’t happy, the players don’t look like they can penetrate, and United are on course for another qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Limply.

If you sit deep against United, they simply can’t bother you

Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and now CSKA Moscow have found it out. Sitting deep against United simply forces them to pass the ball around aimlessly, drawing a perfect arc around the 18-yard box but without ever threatening to dominate. The obsession with possession means forgetting about goals.

If you want to beat United, sit deep and they can’t score. Then hit them on the break. Just before Rooney’s goal, Seydou Doumbia was clean through but only a wonderful save from David De Gea and a last-ditch clearance from Chris Smalling saved United. That would’ve been 1-0, all out fan revolt, and a very real possibility of a Manchester United exit in the group stages.

Manchester United can’t attack

Is it that they can’t attack or that they won’t attack? That’s what the fans would like to know. Because a team with Mata, Herrera, Memphis, Martial and Rooney in there really should be scoring goals. If not scoring them by the bucketloads, at least by the espresso cups. United just can’t seem to do it.

If it’s actually the fault of the players who can’t find the net, then to some degree it’s understandable. But United have created so few chances this season that it really must have something to do with their build-up. All that passing needs to penetrate, if it doesn’t, you’re left looking very stupid. And boring.

Wayne Rooney is closing down records

How does he do it? He can barely score a goal in a year, but so far this season he’s managed to break Sir Bobby Charlton’s England scoring record and he’s on course to break his Manchester United scoring records too.

He’s now only 13 goals short of being Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer and he’s closing in on Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of most European goals for United. Even off-form, and with a team who can barely create any chances for him, he’s still finding ways to score.

“They are all Liverpool players here. Decisions that were made in the past were not as bad as maybe some people think. It is not a coincidence they are here. When I saw the squad – when on my holiday – I thought, ‘good job, I can work with this.’ Yes, we have some injuries but players will come back. It’s a good squad. It’s even good for those players who can’t play in this moment to see how we work.”

Speaking ahead of his side’s hard-fought 1-0 Europa League win against Rubin Kazan, Jurgen Klopp moved to somewhat quell the building speculation that signings in January could be plentiful. If you believe all the rumours floating around the German could assemble a completely fresh XI by February, and I think we can all see that such a state of affairs is extremely unlikely.

Yes, Klopp is sure to want one, maybe two, new players as he looks to implement his own style at Anfield, but as he alluded to, there is plenty of quality on Merseyside right now. Not convinced? Well here are FIVE players currently out of the limelight that prove the German tactician doesn’t have to go crazy with Fenway Sports Group’s chequebook this winter…

Jordon Ibe

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Although there was talk of Ibe being ‘better than Raheem Sterling’ over the summer, it’s fair to say that such claims have proven to be more than premature.

No disrespect to the 19-year-old ex-Wycombe man, but he’s not even close to the level of his senior – albeit by only exactly 365 days – compatriot just yet, whose all-round game is much more sophisticated than angry Kopites wanted to admit when he travelled down the M62 to Manchester.

Alas, Ibe did show a glimpse of the magic in his boots on Thursday night in the Europa League with a decent performance on a horrendous pitch against Rubin Kazan.

In a game in which the Reds lacked that moment of a luck or a creative spark, the teenager really stepped up 10 minutes into the second half to net what proved to be the winning goal, with his pace, power and direct running all on show. We may still be some time from hailing Ibe as a real star at Anfield, but he’s showing signs of filling Sterling’s boots, and Klopp clearly seems to appreciate his talents – as the below video (from after the Rubin game) shows. https://vine.co/v/eLvxnjZeeli/embed/simple

Lazar Markovic

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Reports have already suggested that Klopp wants Markovic back – although a January deal is off the agenda due to his loan move to Fenerbahce – so it’s pretty clear that the 21-year-old Serbian features in the German’s thinking long-term.

An apparent clash of personalities between the youngster and Brendan Rodgers, to which the player has already alluded, perhaps ruined his debut campaign at Anfield, but there’s no doubt that the wide attacker has talent.

On the few occasions he was deployed in his favoured position – he spent lots of time at wing-back – last term, Markovic looked impressive and appeared to have a little bit of a Yossi Benayoun vibe about him in terms of his movement and the way he holds himself on the ball, and with Klopp’s side looking a little blunt at times, that spark could be useful.

Daniel Sturridge

It’s likely that a ‘well, Sturridge is back from injury soon’ narrative will plague the Reds’ season, but there is method in the apparent madness the striker causes among Kopites.

Although perennially short of full fitness, the 26-year-old is a real threat when he can be wheeled out onto the pitch, as was shown when he smashed in two wonderful goals against Aston Villa in September.

Should Klopp be able to keep him match-ready, then the German will have, arguably, one of the best strike forces in the Premier League in Sturridge and Christian Benteke, with pace, power and clinical finishing aplenty.

Jordan Henderson

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In among the madness of the current season at Liverpool it’s been somewhat forgotten that Henderson has been injured since the early stages of the campaign.

After taking the captain’s armband from Steven Gerrard on a permanent basis, the England international featured in wins at Stoke and at home to Bournemouth – he set up the only goal against the Cherries with a lovely cross – and it’s pretty clear that his energy has been missed.

Slotting the 25-year-old back into his midfield may well be a headache for Klopp given the form of Emre Can, James Milner and, in particular, Lucas Leiva, but we’re sure the 48-year-old will be pretty happy to have another top quality player at his disposal.

Joao Carlos Teixeira

Since Klopp’s arrival it’s noticeable that younger players have been given greater opportunities. From being allowed to train with the senior side at Melwood through to being placed on the bench, injuries may have forced the German’s hand to an extent, but it’s encouraging to see fresh talent, and Teixeira has been one of the most exciting thus far.

A solid performance against Bournemouth in the League Cup win in which his neat piece of skill (above) contributed to Nathaniel Clyne’s goal shows that he has the technical ability and confidence, and with games set to come thick and fast over the Christmas period Klopp is sure to have to lean on him a little more as the inevitability of squad rotation sets in.

One thing Manchester City can never be accused of is being boring. Their on-field fortunes change like the wind (which Nicolas Otamendi isn’t too keen on) making their fans’ emotions feel like the mood swings of a bipolar suffer.

Supporters of the Blues must have a higher mortality rate for heart induced traumas than any other side in the world. Is it time the wealthy owners helped ease these health care worries and made life a little more straightforward at the Etihad?

The highs and lows of the fans are directly proportional to the players’ performance on the pitch. The depths of despair felt from the old days, when City packed 69,000* away fans into York’s stadium back in the third tier, have been replaced by sheer disbelief. (*Figure based on word-of-mouth from fans claiming to have travelled.)

It’s become hard to fathom how a team can go from looking unplayable to not that bothered about playing. The highs follow when, after a painful tease, they once again exceed expectation, after setting the bar low for a short period.

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This week sums it up best. Against Stoke a new type of Typical City emerged. One that doesn’t defend with intelligence and lacks the desire to work hard for the ball. The Potters used the same sort of hustle that gave Liverpool rich rewards when they visited Manchester.

It seems like the code has been cracked. Compete with City and too many of their players will go AWOL. The ones that stick around are prone to defensive lapses.

This theme continued until the halftime point of their Champions League tie with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where they trailed 2-1. True to form – which strangely involves having little consistency – they produced an heroic second half turnaround and ended up topping their group. Everything sorted, no worries, they live to fight another day.

Well, not exactly.

Ups and downs make for great Hollywood movies, and provide TV companies with a good return on their extortionate broadcast fees, but it’s not a good situation for the club to be in. Sheikh Mansour wants to make Manchester City world leaders, not a dazzling circus act.

It’s apparent Manuel Pellegrini is no lion tamer and his squad of mercenaries have more bite than he does. The City hierarchy tried the tough love approach by employing Roberto Mancini, only for player power to win the day. The softer style has also failed. The disruptive members of the squad, or those lacking professionalism and motivation, are clearly only playing to their fullest when it suits them, not when Pellegrini demands it.

After trying two extremes it’s time the board found the middle ground. He comes in the form of Carlo Ancelotti. They may well have a vision of Pep Guardiola joining but he’s made it clear that Manchester United is his preferred option. This alone makes an appointment at the Etihad a bad move for City.

How can he convince a disparate dressing room to pull together when everyone in the world knows he’d rather be working in Trafford Borough instead of Manchester – the Capital of the North. Ancelotti has also said he’d be interested in working at Old Trafford but he hasn’t ruled out a return to Chelsea or Real Madrid either. He’s even been linked with PSG.

The Italian just wants a long term, committed contract. City should consider him. He provides a calming influence the club could do with. He also has a proven track record. There’s no doubt if he walked into the dressing room every player would sit up and take notice.

Rather than face a season where City do a football version of Jekyll and Hyde, he would transform them into a formidable force. At the moment too much talent and potential is wasted on a weekly basis.

Pellegrini shouldn’t take too much blame. He has improved the side – topping the Champions League group being a fine example – but he hasn’t done so unequivocally. Doubts remain over City’s ability to sustain a title run or if they can continually deliver in Europe. It’s got to the stage where fans are no longer surprised when a game falls apart before their eyes.

It’s time Sheikh Mansour reduced the number of heart attacks in Manchester and puts into motion a sequence of events that will realise his dream for the club. It means a thanks but farewell for the Chilean and hello to a new, more certain kind of expectation via an Italian.

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Sunderland, unfortunately for them, yet again are in the midst of a relegation battle. While the instillation of Sam Allardyce as manager is usually a move that all but guarantees survival, the Black Cats appear to bucking that trend somewhat.

By no means are the North East side completely written off, but their position is looking increasingly perilous. Four points off fierce rivals Newcastle, who themselves are entrenched in the scrap, games are running out on Wearside.

Their activity in the transfer market was encouraging, however. Allardyce managed finally land Lorient defender Lamine Kone after a mini-saga, with the Ivorian international looking a good at the heart of defence thus far.

Wahbi Khazri has looked a live wire since arriving from Bordaeux, while former Hull City forward Dame N’Doye has bolstered the attack.

Still, it’s not clear whether that will be enough. Their fightback to rescue a point against Liverpool would have offered some encouragement, though did little to improve their standing right now.

Plenty of names were linked with making a move to the Stadium of Light over the course of the window, some of which could have really provided the quality required to keep them in the league.

With that in mind, and not to rub it in too much, here’s the dream end of January XI you Black Cats fans COULD have had…

JORDAN PICKFORD

Yes, Allardyce has stressed the Jordan Pickford is not yet the undisputed Number 1 at the club, but the England under-21 custodian clearly has a bright future.

So much so that Costel Pantillimon was shipped out of the club, with only former Newcastle stalwart Steve Harper drafted in.

Pickford has been linked with Manchester City and is emerging as one of the brightest stoppers in the country. While blooding him in at the deep end may be somewhat of a gamble, the 21-year old is hugely talented.

He’s played in all five of the top divisions in English football already in his career.

MATHIEU DEBUCHY

Mathieu Debuchy appears relatively often in these lists, simply because the Frenchman was linked with so many different clubs over the course of last month.

Though he ultimately made a return to Ligue 1, the 30-year old was rumoured to be on Allardyce’s wish list.

Despite his past with Newcastle United, the quality he could have provided in the right-back berth would have been undeniable. Billy Jones is the current incumbent, though doubts remain over his genuine ability to perform at the highest level.

On loan Spurs star DeAndre Yedlin has never been fully entrusted since his move in the summer, making it a relatively problematic position.

Debuchy is a quality defender, comfortable in possession and solid enough going forward. Could have provided real quality.

YOUNES KABOUL

Younes Kaboul looked quite frankly woeful when paired up with either Sebastian Coates or John O’Shea, though the vastly experienced Frenchman has improved somewhat.

Now he has returned from injury, the former Spurs and Portsmouth defender will be crucial in his side’s fight against the drop.

Pairing him next to the more athletic man we are about to mention could provide a solid partnership, now he has some pace to rely on in his partner.

LAMINE KONE

The £5m deal bringing Lamine Kone to the Stadium of Light appeared to have been off at one point, though everyone at the club will surely be delighted they finally landed their man late in the window.

The 26-year old turned in an emphatic performance against Manchester City on his debut, aside from missing a golden opportunity to level the scores. Still, the Ivorian is a defender in the truest sense, putting his foot in and remaining hard to beat.

Appears to already be somewhat of a cult hero with the club and his solidity will be crucial to keeping them in the league.

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

Patrick van Aanholt has a lot to work in the defensive aspects of his game, though the Dutchman is worth his salt going forward.

His gallivanting runs up and down the left flank have yielded three goals and two assists, meaning the 25-year old Dutchman has been involved in more goals this term than any other defender.

Goals keep you in the Premier League, it’s as simple as that. While more solidity is no doubt required from him, he can pose a real threat going forward.

Now Steven Fletcher has departed, the former Chelsea youngster is joint second top scorer for the Black Cats. A damning assessment on their attacking stars of course, but not something to be overlooked.

YANN M’VILLA

Having slipped under the radar due to a dip in form over recent years, it’s easy to forget that Yann M’Villa is a solid holding midfielder. In fact, he’s been one of the Black Cats’ best performers amid this miserable campaign since his loan move from Rubin Kazan in the summer.

At times, the Frenchman is a bit rash, but his ability to hold on the ball and keep things ticking over in the middle of the park is without question.

Sunderland fans have taken to him well, it seems.

JAN KIRCHHOFF

Hard to imagine really that Jan Kirchhoff would prove to be anything other utterly dreadful after his nightmare debut against Tottenham Hotspur.

The former Bayern Munich ace conceded a penalty and his lazy attempt at blocking a shot led to the ball being deflected into his own net. Comparisons to Jonathan Woodgate were made, it was that bad.

However, the 25-year old has moved on and impressed, moving up into midfield against Manchester City, turning in a Man of the Match performance.

His performance against Liverpool looked tiresome toward the end, but he again impressed. Perhaps he will even keep Lee Cattermole out of the side, with the Black Cats stalwart attracting criticism for his lacklustre display.

Comfortable on the ball, the German could be the perfect foil to the more imposing M’Villa in the middle of the park.

WAHBI KHAZRI

In the early days of his career on Wearside, Wahbi Khazri has excited fans. The Tunisian international sealed a £9m switch from Bordeaux late on in the transfer window and has so far looked to be a good buy.

His willingness to run forward in support of Jermaine Defoe was obvious against Liverpool and the 25-year old provided the assist for the dramatic late equaliser at Anfield.

Though often used as a centre-forward, and able to perform in the Number 10 role, deploying Khazri on the right may be a good option. That way, he can cut inside and wreak havoc from more central options, as well as provide more traditional wing play.

Jermain Lens is another option, though the Dutch international does not graft as much as the new arrival in terms of defensive duties.

ADAM JOHNSON

Adam Johnson at Number 10 can provide some real quality in the final third. The former England international may have tailed off since some promising early days at Manchester City, but remains a gifted playmaker.

Though he’s often deployed out wide, flanking him with two wingers with exceptional workload could help bring the best out of the 28-year old. Having chipped in with five assists this season, perhaps moving him centrally is a wise idea.

He can be the creative hub of this side if he is afforded a freer role.

ANDRE AYEW

After selling Jonjo Shelvey to Newcastle, Swansea weren’t so keen to see Andre Ayew leave the club, amid reported interest from Allardyce.

It’s easy to see why, though the Ghanian would have been a wonderful arrival at the Stadium of Light.

Despite the struggles in South Wales, the fact he arrived on a free transfer over the summer surely make him a contender for signing of the season. He’s scored eight goals without every truly playing as a centre-forward and provides real quality in support of strikers.

The former Marseille man would have excelled next to Johnson, breaking behind enemy lines in support of Defoe. With Khazri on the other side, the Black Cats would suddenly have boasted a frontline to be reckoned with.

JERMAIN DEFOE

It took a while for Jermain Defoe to get settled in at the Stadium of Light, with suggestions he could have left and returned to former club Bournemouth.

However, even at 33 years of age, the former England international remains a lethal marksman. Few would bet against him scoring the goals to keep Sunderland in the league, if he is given the right service.

The notion of both Khazri and Ayew running ahead of him to create space, and Johnson pulling the strings behind, is surely mouth-watering for Black Cats fans.

Oh, what could have been.

Few would believe a few seasons ago that Troy Deeney would be a Premier League player.

He has scored eight goals this season, and as a result is being linked with an England call up, further helped by Wayne Rooney’s standard pre-tournament injury. With Deeney playing so well for Watford right now, should he be considered by Roy Hodgson this summer?

With recent call ups for Jamie Vardy, Danny Ings and Charlie Austin, strikers who have come up through the Championship and performed in the top-flight, it perhaps suggests Deeney is going the right way about earning himself a call up.

With the Euro’s in France this summer, Hodgson may decide to call up players that other teams won’t know how to handle. That is partly why players like Kane, Deeney and Vardy are successful in the Premier League, because the opposition don’t know how to handle them yet.

With Dnny Welbeck seemingly being kept off the plane, and Sturridge being wrapped in cotton wool, this could be the best chance other strikers have to get on the plane.

As long as they continue to perform, then it could be a direct battle between Vardy and Deeney. Both are very different players, and should Leicester win the league with Vardy, then you feel he would have the edge. Vardy’s pace is too much for defenders, and his eye for goal means that he could easily fit alongside any strike partner.

But Deeney still has an outside chance. At the age of 27, he is about to enter the peak of his career. He has constantly worked hard to get to the top, and at least one England cap would be well deserved.

This is really down to Ighalo and Deeney, who have provided most of Watford’s goals this term. If one of the pair isn’t scoring, they will be setting up or creating the play. England have not had such a good pool of strikers in years, and if Roy does not utilise all the different options, then he will be making a big mistake.

Deeney is very much the kind of striker who can not only hold up play and set up goals, but can easily be spotted to get on the end of balls and score. Though it may have taken him 10 games to score his first goal in the Premier League rhis term, he deserves at least one cap for England.

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There is the distinct possibility that many of those in the famous red shirt of Liverpool will not be wearing it for very much longer.

Jurgen Klopp has had to put up with the Brendan Rodgers signings, and come the summer he will be wielding the biggest seen on Merseyside. Club owners, Fenway Sports Group, have already dropped hint after hint that they will back Klopp this summer, and Liverpool look likely to be one of the big spenders before the new season starts.

Many of the players are not truly Liverpool quality, and despite the £millions that Rodgers saw spent, very little has been achieved in recent years. It is true to say that Klopp will need a full season with his own players before he can be really judged as a manager at Anfield and that means a summer clear out of some real deadwood.

Fringe players will feel the sharp blade of Klopp’s scythe, as will notable first team names. Do not be surprised when a P45 are dished out to Martin Skrtel for a start. He once seemed to be an integral, but better players have taken over his role and the 31-year-old Slovakian is rapidly sliding down the pecking order.

Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren appear to be forming a promising partnership at the back and a flurry of tweets during the game at Southampton made it quite clear how the fans feel about the player they once loved. Furthermore, Joel Matip will arrive in the summer, and should slot into the heart of the Liverpool defence, so that is likely to mean the end for Skrtel.

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Joe Allen is entering the final 12 months of his contract, but Liverpool have not made any attempt to renew his terms, while the position of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet – who was culpable for the goal Fernandinho scored for Manchester City at Wembley in the League Cup Final – is under threat.

Those who will definitely be leaving in the summer include Kolo Toure and Joao Teixeira, both of whom are out of contract.

One player that Liverpool will keep, despite a lengthy injury lay-off, is their very own Jon Flanagan. Klopp played a big part in deciding to award the defender a new three year deal recently and it will show other homegrown talent that there is a path to the first team.

Another that will almost definitely become a casualty in the new era is the shell of a player, Christian Benteke. The problem with not scoring is that those that come in and take your place and can score will keep you out. Diviock Origi is ahead of Benteke and Daniel Sturridge is still Liverpool’s number one choice. Roberto Firmino has also been preferred to Benteke when leading the line, so it seems that it’s goodbye to the Belgian.

Lucas is another name who will likely be heading out of the door. The Brazilian almost left last summer and was linked with moves to West Ham and clubs in Italy, but this summer will surely see this player leave through what will become the Anfield revolving door.

left-back Jose Enrique is almost certainly also on his way out as Klopp starts to rebuild his defence – the German is reportedly eyeing a number of European targets in a bid to strengthen his back line. Talking of the backline, it is also clear that second choice ‘keeper, Adam Bogdan, is on his way out, as Klopp eyes a goalie to push Mingolet next season.

Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, former Reds favourite, Ronnie Whelan summed up the situation brilliantly: “It’s the players. They are not and haven’t been good enough for a long, long time. Successive ownership regimes and managers have built several teams since the turn of the century and each one shared a brittle quality and a scarcity of true super-stars. Klopp has arrived and is dealing with that legacy. He has no super-stars and he cannot rely on his players to delivery consistency.”

Damning, but true.

Liverpool need to become a serious force in the Premier League and in Europe, where domination used to be theirs. It will take money, it will take an inspirational and tactically aware manager and it will take time. Liverpool have two of the three, but like every other manager, Klopp will need to produce results almost instantly. That’s the way it is nowadays.

Exciting times for the Anfield club lay ahead and a feeling of renewed hope that will replace the restlessness that has settled over the fans in recent years can already be felt. There’s no point in looking back to what was, it’s instead better to look forward, and when you consider that on the Klopp shopping list are players like Mario Gotze, among others, then there appears much to anticipate in the coming months.

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He is fast becoming the forgotten man, only getting cameo appearances now.

The end is nigh for Christian Benteke at Liverpool, and he knows it. He isn’t Jurgen Klopp’s ideal striker and he wasn’t brought in by him either. On the results this season, Benteke will be at a different club next year.

West Ham, among others, have expressed an interest, but it appears that Hammers fans have recoiled in horror at the thought of the Belgian playing in the claret and blue.

Less than one per cent of the 1,700 plus who voted in a recent ClaretandHugh poll wanted Benteke as one of the club’s summer signings. We wonder what other fans are saying…

Benteke has admitted he finds it difficult to understand why manager Jurgen Klopp ‘ignores’ him.

The Belgium international, who has scored just eight goals in 36 appearances, has become frustrated with his bit-part role at Anfield. After signing for a fee of £32.5million last summer, he has made just five starts in 16 games since the end of December, with Klopp preferring fit-again Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi up front.

Noticeably, at the end of the defeat at Southampton recently, Klopp was seen in animated discussions on the pitch with the forward after he missed a number of chances in the 3-2 loss. Clearly not ignoring him.

The speculation concerning his departure from Anfield is on a roll at a time in the season when anyone and everyone is linked with moving somewhere. If Benteke wants to stay at Liverpool, then he needs to show it now, but maybe the damage is done and Klopp has already decided on the forwards future.

“Some team-mates have said that I was lucky with the arrival of Klopp, because I certainly would play,” he said recently.

“When your coach says he wanted to take you to Dortmund and a little later you sit at the same club and he ignores you it is hard to understand.”

Perhaps it is because Benteke just doesn’t fit into Klopp’s tactical plans or maybe it’s because he can’t score – which is probably more likely. On the back of accusations that he doesn’t play the way Klopp wants Liverpool to function, he said: “I find it bizarre, I do not understand why people say that. I can play pressing and moving a lot. It is not that we play in the Barcelona style. In January I didn’t want to leave and it’s still my desire to succeed.”

Benteke isn’t exactly alone when it comes to underachieving at Anfield, but while the arrows are being slung his way, the others go undetected a while longer. As third, maybe fourth choice striker, Benteke needs to work, run, press and score, because from the comments from the fans on Twitter, his inability to do any of those things means that whilst he may want to stay in the red shirt, the general feeling mirrors Klopp’s thinking.

Liverpool bought Benteke for one quality, and that was when he was scoring of all sorts of goals. Any other qualities that he thinks he may have seem to have packed their bags and left ahead of the dozy striker.

It clearly isn’t working for the Belgian and at the moment. Benteke looks a lonely, out-of-sorts, peripheral player, and seems to be the only one who is bemused at his situation.

Two years from now, Liverpool fans will be saying – Benteke who?

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