Clinton Morrison: Liverpool fans would bite your hand off to keep Salah & Van Dijk but lose Alexander-Arnold
Will Jackson 
We're back this week to discuss the results of the international break with Clinton, with wins for England and more notably, Republic of Ireland in the past week but potentially a costly defeat for Steve Clarke and Scotland.
There's also been a lot of speculation around the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold and a potential move to Real Madrid, and Clinton has had his say on what that could mean for local supporters.
Looking ahead to this weekend of action, we've had a look at the FA Cup quarter-finals and put some predictions alongside some of our top football betting offers.
So, looking ahead to the weekend, here's what Clinton had to say when speaking exclusively to Free Bets:
England Under Tuchel
Q: We’ve just had the international break, which saw Thomas Tuchel win his first two games pretty easily against weak opposition.
Was there much to learn for Tuchel against Albania and Latvia?
He would have learned a lot about his players - seeing them around training and around matchdays.
He looks like he's a hard taskmaster. What you see is what you get with Thomas Tuchel. I think his remit for England is to go and win the World Cup, and everyone will be judging him on these early games but that’s not what his job is about.
He signed that contract to go and win the World cup in a year's time. We know England will qualify because that group of players are good enough to qualify.
There were a few criticisms from the Albania game but you’ll never keep everyone happy, and then the Latvia game was a bit better and they moved the ball a bit quicker, but it was difficult against teams set up like that.
He will have learned a lot about the players that were there. They put themselves in the window but there might be a few others who are under a bit of pressure when the other players come back in, but they’ll have considered it a good camp.
Q: Which players do you think enhanced their standing?
Lewis-Skelly, I think he enhanced it. England have still got Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell to come back, but they're going to find it difficult to get ahead of the young man at the moment because the young man's playing outstandingly, and scoring your debut as well, it's what dreams are made of. He was excellent.
I think Reece James came in and was fantastic. I don’t know why Maresca is playing him in midfield, because Reece James is one of the best right-backs around and I thought his free kick was magnificent. You know, just for him to hopefully get a run of games now where he's injury-free, I think it will help him massively.
Young Morgan Rogers, I thought he was good too. I thought he was more effective out wide than in the 10, but that's because the game wasn’t very open, so it's hard to go and create.
I think Harry Kane does what Harry Kane does and Jude Bellingham was brilliant in the first game.
And Eze, I’ve got a special mention for Eze. I think he only got half an hour in the two games, but in that half an hour he impressed and got his goal with a good bit of skill - I know maybe he was a bit fortunate with the deflection, but it was going on target, so it's his goal and good luck to him.
There's a lot of positives.
I thought Marcus Rashford in the second game was lively too. I'm happy when Marcus Rashford is trying to take people on and trying to beat players. I want my winger to go and beat players and make things happen, rather than trying to play safe where he can make mistakes when he tries to do that. So all in all, I think that's a good camp and I don't think anyone let themselves down.
Ireland Progress
Q: Ireland and Scotland had a bit more riding on their international breaks with Nations League play-offs.
Starting with the Republic, that’s two big wins in important matches. We spoke last week about it being too early to judge the manager but this has got to be a big tick for him after going into those games as second favourites among most betting sites?
They are massive results against Bulgaria because I don’t think many people would have made Ireland favourites to go and win that.
I was really impressed and I feel like they're now starting to get good attacking options. They're still missing players who are injured, key players. But I think Ferguson, Idah, Parrott and Finn Azaz are exciting young players.
They’ve got four players there that can hopefully start scoring goals. I've said it for many years and I don't like harping on, but I don't think Ireland will get another player scoring goals to the level of Robbie Keane, so if these four can share the goals amongst them and try and get to that level, then long may continue for Ireland.
I know Ireland fans have been critical and really frustrated, but I think to get those two results against Bulgaria will give them confidence moving forward.
Q: And that’s a massive goal for Evan Ferguson, who has had a frustrating time this season and particularly since joining West Ham…
It's a big goal because he's had a lot of injuries and Brighton have been flying, so he found it difficult. Then going to West Ham and he hasn't started a lot of games and has been coming off the bench.
I always say when you go away on international football and you get a goal, you come back to your club 10 feet taller. So if I'm Graham Potter, I'm starting Evan Ferguson in the next Premier League game because he'll be full of confidence after scoring at international level and that's what happens.
We all know he's a talent. People have to still realize he's still at a young age. The injuries have not helped him, but he’s a handful and with Evan Ferguson you know what you're going to get.
He can beat players, can hold the ball up and he can score goals. So he’s kind of the complete center forward, but he just needs to stay fit and get a run of games. That's the big thing.
But I think he could be the future for Ireland for sure.
Pressure on Steve Clarke?
Q: It didn’t quite go as well for Scotland, who won the first leg but were then pummelled at home…
I watched bits and pieces of that - they just looked flat, didn't they? They looked really flat and it was a struggle because I thought in the first leg they were outstanding with the McTominay penalty.
The second one was really disappointing and Scotland fans weren't happy. There was a lot of booing and disgruntled fans and stuff like that. Steve Clarke might come under a bit of pressure, even though I think he shouldn't because the job he's done there is brilliant.
But fans are relentless and want to see success and I think Scotland have been spoiled a lot over the last few years, so the fans probably want to see a bit more and it is disappointing because they do have a lot of talented players.
Q: Do you think Steve Clarke is the right man to lead Scotland into the next World Cup?
Yeah, definitely. I think the job he's done has been brilliant and I know they struggled in the major tournaments, but you're playing against some of the best teams there are so it is difficult. Like, I feel like Scotland are having kind of the same problem as Ireland. You don't have a massive pool of players to pick from, so it can become difficult.
Getting them to qualify is a big overachievement - the players might think differently - and Clarke has done a brilliant job to do that.
I don’t know what the fans are saying because I’m not that close to the Scotland team or the fans, but for me, I think Steve Clarke has done ever so well there, and it’s up to the hierarchy. I’d stick by him, he has a good rapport with the players and a good qualification record so he’s done a great job up there at Scotland.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Q: One of the big stories in the news this week has been the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold. It’s not confirmed yet, but what do you think of the proposed move to Real Madrid?
It's a hard one but why is Trent's contract being run down? Trent is a local boy. If you look at all the kids that are coming through the academy, they probably look up to Trent Alexander-Arnold, because he came through that way. So they aspire to be like that.
He's a fantastic footballer. I think he's one of the best passes there is in the Premier League and Real Madrid is Real Madrid.
I think as a youngster growing up, everyone wanted to go and play for Real Madrid, one of the biggest football clubs in the world, but now Liverpool are fighting on that kind of level, winning the Premier League and challenging for Champions League.
A lot of Liverpool fans who I speak to are like, why is he going there?
I think what hurts Liverpool fans that he would be worth £80/90 million or even more, and is now going on a free after coming through the academy.
So basically they produced and nurtured him and then he walks out on a free. So that's down to the club, not sorting out a contract.
Liverpool fans have the right to feel disappointed because it's a homegrown talent and they would have loved him to stay there. I think he probably tarnishes his legacy at Liverpool, he would have gone down as one of the greats and probably a massive legend there. But at the end of the day probably he wants to go around Madrid and win a lot of stuff, which Real Madrid always do in their league.
It's a difficult one, it's a hard one because do you want a different challenge or do you want to stay at your boyhood club the whole of your career? Only Trent can answer that.
Q: There’s doubt over the futures of Van Dijk and Salah too. Do you think if those two sign on now, that makes up for Trent leaving?
I think Liverpool fans will bite your hand off there and say great business.
They'll be still disappointed because he's a local boy and Trent knows the club inside out, but I think they'll be buzzing if they've kept proven world class players like Van Dijk and Salah.
You’ve got one of the best centre-backs there is in world football and one of the best right-wingers that you've seen in the world in Salah. The numbers he's getting this year are fantastic and I think Virgil keeps everyone together in the team and that's why he's the captain and one of the best centre-backs there is in world football.
Keeping them two would be great business and I think Liverpool have more of an opportunity now to keep both of them because I would do everything I can in my power to keep them. If you lose those three players I'm not saying Liverpool are in big trouble but they are in trouble, let's be honest.
FA Cup Quarter-Finals
Q: FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend, and it looks quite open with Manchester City the only ‘big’ side left in at this stage. It has a nice look to it doesn’t it?
I feel like Man City did not want Bournemouth in the next round of the FA Cup. Going to Bournemouth is a hard football match.
Man City are still the favorites but I think a lot of Man City would have probably taken any other team apart from Bournemouth the way Bournemouth are playing out the Vitality this season.
So, it's wide open for the FA Cup. As you said a lot of the big teams have gone out but there's still a lot of good teams left in it. There’s Aston Villa, Palace, Fulham, Brighton, Forest, Man City, Bournemouth. You shouldn't be disrespectful of Preston. It's a hard game for Aston Villa to go to Preston. I think at Villa Park, Villa win it easily but at Preston it'll be difficult.
I think this weekend's going to be properly exciting.
Q: The Saturday games in particular look really good and there should be some really good football free bets and offers available come Saturday morning. Those are four teams well placed to give it a proper go in the cups this season, aren't they?
This year I think is the best year for someone maybe picking up a trophy. I actually think this is the year where it could be someone different depending on the Man City v Bournemouth game because if Man City come through, you still make Man City the favorites.
But I'm looking at my old club Palace who go to Fulham and have one of the best away records in the Premier League.
I want my old club to go as far as they can in that FA Cup game, so I'll be cheering them on at the weekend. There's some fascinating ties this weekend. It's going to be a good FA Cup, I'm loving it.
Q: With the way Palace’s season has gone, with the slow start and not building on last season’s finish - would a semi-final trip to Wembley mark a good season?
They did well in the Carabao Cup and lost to Arsenal, so I think they would want to get a bit further. I think if they can get to the semi-final and then there's still quite a few games left in the season for Palace to finish in the top half of the table - that would be a good season.
Palace don’t have the finances of some of the teams up there. They haven't spent £200 million like Brighton has or anything like that. and they've lost a lot of top players as well. But they bring in shrewd signings credit to Dougie Friedman and the chairman for that - they bring really good young players who are hungry.
I think if they can do this and get to the semi-final, it would be a great achievement. And then you just want a good draw in the semi-final.
If they can get to the semi final and finish in the top half of the table, it's another successful season for Palace but it will be a really hard game going to Craven Cottage because Marco Silva has got Fulham playing really well this season.
