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If you still don’t know how to pronounce Caiomhin Kelleher’s name, then consider this your notice to look it up.

Because you’ll be seeing a lot more of him very soon.

The young Irishman has had to bite his tongue and bide his time. It’s difficult for any young player emerging on the scene at Liverpool, but while the likes of Curtis Jones and Neco Williams have seen plenty of game-time through squad rotation and substitute cameos, the keeper has not had that luxury – for obvious reasons.

“Over the moon really with how the whole night went for me and for the whole team to get the win and to qualify. Just delighted.”

Caoimhin Kelleher on a memorable @championsleague debut ?

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 1, 2020

Any outfield player who delivered a string of performances as assured and commanding as Kelleher’s in last season’s EFL Cup run would have been rewarded with a more regular place in the team. They certainly wouldn’t expect to go the following ten months without another minute on the pitch.

Yet February’s FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury was his last appearance prior to Tuesday evening.

It had been coming, granted. Eagle-eyed viewers would have noticed that it had been he, and not Adrian, who was named on the bench for each of their prior Champions League appearances. Alisson’s blotchy injury record meant that was no empty gesture.

His time came when a minor hamstring issue ruled the Brazilian out of the key tie with Ajax, and any doubts that existed over the 22-year-old’s pedigree as a stand-in stopper were soon dispelled.

Caoimhin Kelleher: Alert and equal to all the moments that needed him to be decisive. But also impressive was his composure. Didn’t look out of place, or nervous, or flustered.
And judging by how Jürgen Klopp and his teammates rushed to swamp him, a showing they much appreciated

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) December 1, 2020

He caught the eye with an array of Hollywood saves but it would have been the nuts and bolts of his game that impressed Jurgen Klopp the most. He was loud, communicative and commanding, not afraid to give his more experienced central defenders an earful when they needed it – all aspects that have been notably missing from Adrian’s game in then Spaniard’s recent appearances.

From the off it was clear he was a keeper playing with confidence. He was busy, with at least four big saves to make and plenty of tidying up to do behind a relatively skittish make-shift defence. But he was decisive in everything he did, whether it was coming off his line to clear or taking responsibility for a cross.

By full-time you could visibly see that composure reflected in those in front of him, and that is the mark of a top keeper in the making.

Robertson admiring at Kelleher is everything. ? pic.twitter.com/WUUFHaisFD

— Sam (@SamueILFC) December 1, 2020

Jurgen Klopp’s assessment of the situation urged caution. He praised Kelleher to the heavens but equally gushed over Adrian’s professionalism at yielding his spot to the prodigy – if that’s not indicative of a good environment for a young goalkeeper to thrive then I’m not sure what is.

“Caoimhin is a sensationally talented goalie,” he told Liverpool’s website. “For goalies it’s really difficult, goalies have to wait. They can be exceptional but they have to wait for their chance because there’s only one goalie on the pitch and if this goalie plays for 10 years in a row, it’s pretty difficult. You can be still a wonderful goalie and nobody will see.

“Now he got the chance and I think he convinced everybody. He didn’t have to convince us, obviously – we thought it will be like this. But he convinced everybody, that’s good.

Liverpool are through to the Champions League knockouts ✅

The Reds top Group D, and Jürgen Klopp gives Caoimhin Kelleher a big bear hug.

A great display from the young keeper ? pic.twitter.com/HpP2junkqV

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 1, 2020

“But Adrian doesn’t deserve just to be written off now, there’s no reason for that. He supported Caoimhin in an exceptional way. After he got the information that he would not start, he behaved unbelievably. Really, really a lot of respect for that. He expected it actually, but anyway a lot of respect for it.”

It’s not a slight on Adrian to say that Kelleher already looks a better, more assured goalkeeper. The 33-year-old is not defined by a handful of errors – he has been a fine backup to Alisson and his value as a popular, experienced member of the squad is evident to anyone with half a clue about the inner workings of the club. He shouldn’t be moved on as some FIFA-dwelling fans would tell you – but he should be phased out gradually to make way for a new number two.

At 22, both Kelleher and the club will benefit from every 90 minutes he gets on the pitch. They don’t appear to lose anything by starting him over his more established counter-part – if anything the opposite is true. All the evidence suggests he should be in the team to face Wolves on Sunday night, then we’ll take it from there.

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Jekyll and Hyde is the original tale of the duality of man, both goodness and evil in one. To find the embodiment of the multifaceted football club, look no further than Manchester United.

A word that has tormented United since Sir Alex’s retirement like an itch that can’t be scratched is inconsistency. 

From results like beating the centurion Manchester City side in their own back yard to then losing to a West Brom team at home who would be relegated a week later, strange transfer dealings or even differing managerial appointments. The Red Devils just can’t find that groove of form to take them back to the glory days of yesteryear.

What is more interesting is that United’s consistent inconsistency can now be observed when you watch them play for 90 minutes.

Solskjaer has managed an impressive run of nine away games with a 100% record. United’s away form in those matches has even set a new club record. In addition to that, United have set a new Premier League record by scoring two goals or more in those nine games. However, despite the results on the road being flawless, the performances have been far from perfect with the Old Trafford outfit having to come from behind to win five of those fixtures.

That’s more than 55% of victories on this formidable run away from home being won when conceding first.

On Saturday, West Ham dominated United in the first half in all areas, including quality and desire. In the second half, things changed. United took hold of the game after making changes and mounted a momentous comeback. A similar story was played out against Southampton last week and even Brighton and Everton a few weeks prior. A poor start with a goal or two conceded becomes a proverbial kick up the backside and, with a few changes, United win.

Sure, seeing your team come from behind to win a game of football is a feeling that is unmatched. You could even argue that coming back from adversity is a symptom of great team spirit and belief. But how long can United rely on the club’s DNA of rising from the ashes?

The statistics can be seen in black and white. United are 19th in the table for their first half results (minutes 1 to 45). In other words, if United were to finish their matches at half time, they’d be firmly in the relegation zone with eight points.

Conversely, United would be third based on their performances in the second half of matches this season on 19 points, behind both Leicester and Chelsea.

Delving deeper, if we look at first halves at Old Trafford, United would be bottom of the league for points won. The Reds are in 15th place for points accumulated in the second half at home.

Now this is the best bit. If we look at the second half of away games, United are top of the league with a two-point gap over Chelsea, compared to 14th for their first half displays.

As the stats show, the Red Devils’ main obstacle remains their inability to be consistent. 

If United could somehow remedy their first half performances and start as they mean to go on, they could prove to be dark horses in this Premier League season and recapture former glories. Although they are gaining points by conceding first and going on to win games, there is no way that can be sustainable long term.

But then again, you never truly know what you’re gonna get with this United side, so saying anything with conviction seems pointless.

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Frank Lampard never planned on winning the Premier League in his debut season with Chelsea, and his aspirations for year two weren’t much different.

The boss spent heavily during the summer to address the weaknesses in his squad and move his side from phase one to phase two, which involved proving to the rest of the world that Chelsea weren’t messing about anymore. There may not be any trophies at the end of the year, but everyone would begin to fear Chelsea again.

The Blues’ current 13-game unbeaten run, which has them top of both the Premier League and their Champions League group, has brought about the change Lampard was looking for, but there was no greater indication of the difference between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 versions of Chelsea than Saturday’s 3-1 win over Leeds.

Happy Sunday, Chelsea fans! ?

Here’s yesterday’s highlights… pic.twitter.com/A803UbDhlt

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 6, 2020

For all the talk of how defensively strong Lampard’s side are these days, Saturday’s game threatened to play out exactly like a match from last season.

Just four minutes in, a miscommunication between Kurt Zouma and Edouard Mendy allowed Patrick Bamford to put Leeds ahead, and that meant Chelsea were facing 86 minutes of trying to break down a stubborn defence. Last year, that was game over.

Perhaps lacking both the confidence and the ability to overturn deficits, Chelsea fell to poor results against the likes of West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle and the eternal thorn in the side that is Bournemouth. They couldn’t cope with not being in the lead.

This year, however, things are different.

Despite falling behind early, there were never any real fears that Chelsea were going to lose this game, and after 16 shots on target led to goals from Olivier Giroud, Kurt Zouma and Christian Pulisic, Blues fans were left celebrating three hard-fought points over their old rivals.

That’s the difference between this season and last. Adversity doesn’t leave Chelsea fans fearing the worst. Instead, it’s a mere bump in the road for Lampard’s side, who are already being mentioned as potential title favourites this year.

Lampard isn’t planning on lifting the title this season. That’s never been on the agenda. When he was convincing Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and the rest of the new faces to move to Stamford Bridge this summer, the message was always that this year was ‘phase two’ – a return to significance on both the domestic and European scale.

The boss wants to see his side gel and mature together ahead the third phase, launching a push for major silverware in the coming years, and coming out on top against a Leeds side who have already given the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal major problems is the clearest indication yet that this is not the Chelsea of old anymore.

We’ve seen Chelsea forced to dig deep to keep out the likes of Manchester United and Sevilla. We’ve seen them turn on the style to overwhelm Burnley, Rennes and Krasnodar, and we’ve seen them forced to overcome deficits against Sheffield United and now Leeds. This side are doing it all.

Having said that, let’s not get carried away just yet. There’s still work to do – primarily learning how to win against the bigger sides.

United, Sevilla and Tottenham all held Chelsea to 0-0 draws, with the free-scoring Blues unable to find a way to throw themselves forward without exposing themselves at the back. That’s the balance that must be found, and perhaps could be the difference between glory and a trophy-less year. But that’s fine.

Lampard’s vision for the club wasn’t to jam all the pieces together immediately. He has promised steady but significant improvement ahead of reaching phase three, and we’re seeing that clear as day.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!

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Inter climbed to second place in Serie A on Saturday evening, defeating Bologna 3-1 at San Siro thanks to some stellar displays from Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi.

Lukaku needed only 16 minutes to write his name on the score sheet, latching onto Ivan Perisic’s cross to fire home smartly at the second attempt. I Nerazzurri had to wait until the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead, but it was worth the delay.

⚽ | 16′ – BIG ROOOOM!

Inter are in the lead and it’s that man @RomeluLukaku9 once again! ?#InterBologna 1️⃣-0⃣#FORZAINTER ⚫️? pic.twitter.com/7fgcSec7E5

— Inter (@Inter_en) December 5, 2020

Marcelo Brozovic split the Bologna defence with a beautiful lofted ball, and wing-back Hakimi raced onto it and stroked his shot into the corner of the net. The three points were thrown into jeopardy on 67 minutes though, when Bologna winger Emanuel Vignato popped up unmarked at the far post to slam into the roof of the net.

Inter restored their two-goal advantage only three minutes later however, after Hakimi capped off a mazy solo run with a superbly-controlled finish beyond Lukasz Skorupski.

Let’s have a look at the Inter player ratings at the end of an exciting 90 minutes at San Siro.

Samir Handanovic (GK) – 7/10 – Could do nothing to stop the goal from such close range, and handled his other responsibilities with typical class. A reliable presence.

Milan Skriniar (CB) – 7/10 – Slightly out of position for Vignato’s consolation, but the bounce of the ball did him no favours. Getting back up to speed following his lay off.

Stefan de Vrij (CB) – 7/10 – Planted a solid header towards goal in the first half, but Skorupski was up to the task. Did his defensive duties expertly.

Alessandro Bastoni – 8/10 – A wonderful player. Carried the ball out from the back well and so, so solid when challenged to show his defensive prowess. A real prospect.

Achraf Hakimi (RWB) – 9/10 – The star of the show. Perfectly-timed run and finish for the first goal, and then a brilliant solo effort for his second. Looks as if he’s finally bringing the contributions which made him so loved at Borussia Dortmund.

Arturo Vidal (CM) – 7/10 – Didn’t get himself sent off for running his mouth off this time, which is always a bonus. Offered his usual grit and (legal) fight on the pitch.

Marcelo Brozovic (CM) – 8/10 – What an absolutely divine pass for the second goal! Great vision and execution to pull off such a work of art. It’s what we’ve come to expect from the Croatian.

Roberto Gagliardini (CM) – 7/10 – Not the best of the three midfielders, but didn’t look out of place in Antonio Conte’s side. Played his part.

Ivan Perisic (LWB) – 8/10 – Provided the cross which eventually led to the opening goal. No surprise how good he is going forward, but defensive weaknesses will reappear. Luckily, it didn’t matter too much on Saturday.

Alexis Sanchez (ST) – 7/10 – Will be disappointed not to have got on the score sheet. Had a couple of great chances when through on goal, but couldn’t find the net. Also provided the perfect foil for Lukaku. The pair looked extremely in sync and complimented each other nicely.

Romelu Lukaku (ST) – 8/10 – Benefitted from the work of Sanchez, but also set his teammate up for a couple of cracks at goal. Got his own rewards early on with a ruthless finish. One of the best.

Nicolo Barella (CM) – 7/10

Lautaro Martinez (ST) – 6/10

Matteo Darmian (RWB) – 6/10

Danilo D’Ambrosio (CB) – 6/10

Christian Eriksen (CM) – N/A

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Millwall defender Mahlon Romeo has hit out at home supporters who booed the players for taking the knee in their 1-0 defeat to Derby County on Saturday afternoon, admitting this is ‘the lowest’ he’s felt during his five years at the club.

Romeo, born in London, was horrified by Millwall fans’ behaviour prior to kickoff, after they used their first home game back in the stadium to voice their anger at the taking of the knee, a sign of solidarity against racism and discrimination.

Speaking to the South London Press, Romeo gave an impassioned interview, explaining that in ‘society there is a problem’, and the fans who booed the act have ‘disrespected not just him but the football club’.

“Today’s [Saturday] game, to me now, has become irrelevant. The fans have been let back in – which the whole team was looking forward to. But in society there is a problem – and that problem is racism.

“The fans who have been let in today have personally disrespected not just me but the football club. And what the football club and the community stand for. What they’ve done is booed and condemned a peaceful gesture which was put in place to highlight, combat and stop any discriminatory behaviour and racism. That’s it – that’s all that gesture is.

“And the fans have chosen to boo that, which for the life of me I can’t understand. It has offended me and everyone who works for this club – the players and the staff.

“I’m speaking on behalf of myself here – not any of the other players – I want to make that very clear. This is the first time I feel disrespected. Because you have booed and condemned a peaceful gesture which – and it needs repeating – was put in place to highlight, combat and tackle any discriminatory behaviour and racism in general.”

Romeo then admitted that the fans’ behaviour has left him feeling ‘the lowest he’s felt in his time at this club’, and the booing made him feel ‘very small and personally disrespected.’

“I’m almost lost for words. I don’t know how they thought that would make me feel. I don’t know what they thought taking a knee stood for. But I think I’ve explained it simply enough. I feel really low – probably the lowest I’ve felt in my time at this club.

“It’s something I can’t wrap my head around. People will have their beliefs and views, which everyone is entitled to. I’m not trying to stop or contain – but if your beliefs and views oppose a positive change in society then don’t come to a football ground and spread them around.

A section of Millwall fans booed as their players took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement at the start of their Championship match against Derby.

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 5, 2020

“If it’s negative, don’t think you can come to a football ground and this is the place where you can spread hatred essentially.

“When fans are booing a peaceful gesture to highlight racism, it naturally makes you ask yourself ‘why am I putting myself through this?’. I’m sure not all Millwall fans share the same opinion – it’s a small collection. But if we’re being realistic it made me feel very small and it made me feel personally disrespected.”

Millwall have since released a statement regarding Saturday’s events. It reads: “Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday’s game against Derby County at The Den.

#Millwall have released the following club statement

— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) December 6, 2020

“The club has worked tirelessly in recent months to prepare for the return of supporters and what should have been a positive and exciting occasion was completely overshadowed, much to the immense disappointment and upset of those who have contributed to those efforts.”

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