5 Truths: Jurgen Klopp hedged his bets and lost, the end of John Terry?

With the benefit of hindsight, John Terry should have probably accepted Chelsea’s decision not offer him a new contract last season. He instead a passive-aggressive mission to force the club’s hand to offer a player in stark decline a contract his performances barely warranted.

After a dreadful performance against Peterborough, Terry has near on made himself unselectable. If he is putting in such a ragged performance against a League One outfit, then what kind of a liability would he be in the Premier League?

It is a pretty unseemly end to a distinguished playing career.

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Jurgen Klopp’s frustration with the festive calendar has been pronounced. Therefore, it was of little surprise he named a much-changed side for Liverpool’s FA Cup third round tie against Plymouth Argyle.

Klopp took a calculated, yet sizable risk when he named Liverpool’s youngest ever team, and it backfired. He hedged the fact that a second - possibly even third, depending on your take – string Liverpool side would have enough quality to see off fourth-tier Argyle. The payoff for Klopp’s gamble was that his first teamers would earn a well-deserved rest as his side progressed to the fourth-round tie.

Alas for Liverpool, a dogged Plymouth side held their hosts at bay and the Reds are now faced with a jading, near 600-mile round trip. Klopp’s attempt to keep his side fresh has compounded the fixture pile up he has such misgivings about.

However, that is part of the beauty of the FA Cup – an inferior team lifted their game to force a replay against a weakened, yet superior side. On the subject of weakened teams…

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The FA Cup is no longer top priority for many clubs at this stage of the season. However, that is not to say it is not still important - it is just less important than it used to be. Clubs still want to win it but not at the cost of league position, and that is wholly understandable considering the sums of money involved. Therefore, by naming weakened teams for the early rounds, clubs are not being disrespectful but pragmatic.

So the rancour that followed the naming of weakened sides for this weekend’s ties misses the point. That trend is reflective of the FA Cup’s changed standing in the modern game. Maximising league position is the principle aim of the majority of professional clubs - it is where the money is.

Take for example Bournemouth. The Cherries stated aim at the start of the season was to remain in the Premier League. They are yet to achieve that goal and Eddie Howe has the right to pursue survival by whatever means he sees fit. If that means completely changing his starting XI to ensure his side are fresh for upcoming Premier League games then so be it.

Wigan Athletic showed the competition the mythical ‘respect’ it demands back in 2013, and were richly rewarded with a first piece of major silverware in their history while being not-so-richly rewarded with relegation from the Premier League. They currently sit 23rd in the Championship after winning League One last year.

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While he certainly does not look it, Vincent Janssen is only 22. This is his fourth year as a professional footballer; two of which were in the Dutch second tier. His one season with AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie yielded 27 goals in 34 games. Said strike rate prompted Tottenham to spend £17 million on the forward as a back up to Harry Kane. But in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa he looked a pale imitation of his team-mate.

Granted, his return of three goals in 27 games for Spurs is pretty underwhelming. However, only 10 of those games have been starts and barely any consecutive starts. He is a young player still learning the game and adapting to a new league. He has hit an impressive four goals in nine international starts and the clamour to write him off as another Eredivisie flop seems premature.

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There is little doubt that Jack Grealish is a talented footballer. He showed flashes of that talent in Aston Villa’s 2-0 loss at White Hart Lane against Tottenham. However, his decision to declare for England is looking increasingly bemusing. The 21-year-old represented Ireland from U15 level all the way to U21. England were long-time admirers of the Villa man but Grealish seemed destined to turn out for Ireland – back in 2011 at the age of 15 he turned down a call up to England’s U17 squad.

Yet, in 2015 after breaking into and starring in Aston Villa’s team, Grealish made the decision to play for the country of his birth. It goes without saying that that is absolutely his right – many players make international switches. However, there is a creeping feeling that Grealish may have made a poor career choice. Chances are, had he stuck with Ireland, the Villa playmaker could have played at the Euros. He would almost certainly be a fully-fledged international by now and with the Republic’s distinct lack of creative options, he may very well have seen a number of starts.

Grealish may never be deemed good enough to play for England and it is certainly difficult to ever see him as an automatic pick for them. In fact there is no guarantee he will ever play international football, which would be a shame for a player of his clear talent.