All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton appear to be closing in on the appointment of Nuno Santo as their new manager, but one other name tipped to replace Carlo Ancelotti is Graham Potter. However, Lawrie Sanchez believes that the Merseyside outfit might have been cautious of going for the Brighton boss because of how Marco Silva’s tenure went.

Potter and Silva have similarities in terms of how they started at smaller Premier League or foreign clubs before getting a move to a more established top-flight English club and now being linked with big clubs like Spurs and Everton, but Silva’s term at Everton did not go to plan.

The Brighton manager, who director of football Marcel Brands is reportedly especially keen on, has earned rave reviews from managers such as Pep Guardiola, and was widely tipped as a candidate for the Spurs job. However, despite all the praise he is still yet to guide the Seagulls to a higher finish than 15th in the Premier League.

This next appointment has to be spot on so Everton can plan for the long term future both on and off the pitch, and Sanchez believes that the Toffees could be a bit wary of appointing Potter because of his lack of experience, much like Silva, as he told Football FanCast exclusively:

“Clubs look at what they’ve done before and they went and got the new bright manager when they signed Marco Silva from Watford, and he had only just got there as he had just left Hull.

“They’ve been stung before with a young manager with the Silva situation and then they’ve ended up going for established names like Koeman, Ancelotti and Allardyce. So, I’m not saying he couldn’t do it at Everton but they seem like they want an established name.”

Everton are going to move into a new stadium in the coming years so they will be wanting to have the club in the best possible position on the pitch for that happening, and hopefully have European football in their debut season in their new ground.

Potter has managed to turn Brighton into a slick possession-based team in only two seasons and if they had a striker last season who was clinical in front of goal then they would have been pushing much higher up the league, as they had an xG of 51.6 compared to them actually only scoring 40 times.

Many Rangers fans have been left to fume as Graham Spiers tweeted about ‘The Rangers problem’.

The Scottish sports journalist tweeted that the Glasgow club have been ‘trashed’ by various forms of media after footage emerged of the celebrations following their title win, calling it an ’embarrassment’.

Thousands of the Ibrox faithful took to the streets to celebrate after they were handed the trophy, with a minority causing trouble, as 20 people were arrested (firstpost.com).

Due to the current situation with the global pandemic, there were certainly some causes for concern, but Spiers has suggested that these acts of over-celebrating and violence in some cases are just a problem for the Gers, as if other Scottish clubs or events in the city have not caused the same kind of reaction.

Unsurprisingly then, his post did not go down well at all with several RFC supporters.

Rangers fans on Spiers’ post

These Rangers fans flocked to the post on Twitter to voice their fume:

“”The Rangers problem”. My word. I suppose for people like yourself, Graham, it’s easier to blame a club who turned you down rather than society as a whole. Much easier to point the finger, eh?”

Credit: @crmpicco

“You’re part of the problem”

Credit: @blupac82

“And here lies the reason you are not welcome at Ibrox mate.”

Credit: @torrygillick

“Hater”

Credit: @Magtruss

“Go away please”

Credit: @GayleAtkinson11

“Is it just a “Rangers problem” Graham?”

Credit: @BryanSpark2

In other news, find out what Helen Martin article gas left Gers livid here!

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will not get rid of Steve Bruce, says Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry.

At one point, it did look like Bruce’s job was in real danger, with The Telegraph reporting at the start of April that relegation to the Championship would have possibly forced Ashley’s hand.

In the end, though, Bruce was obviously able to keep Newcastle up after picking up some brilliant results in the final stretch of the campaign.

And now, unless the Tyneside club are taken over, Fry cannot see Bruce going anywhere. Speaking about what the future could hold for Newcastle, the former manager told FFC:

“I think if Mike Ashley’s in charge, he’ll leave Steve in charge, no doubt about that whatsoever.

“If somebody else comes in and buys the club off him, then they’ve got their own ideas, and normally if a consortium takes over a club, they’ve got their own manager, their own management team all set up before they take over.”

Newcastle’s future as a football club has been up in the air, or more so, since the attempted takeover by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, which includes Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers. What happens next is now anyone’s guess.

Tottenham suffered a major dent to their hopes of finishing in the top four in the Premier League this season after falling to a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan Mason’s side came into the game off the back of a morale-boosting 4-0 thrashing of Sheffield United last time out, with Gareth Bale netting a hat-trick in the process.

However, the Lilywhites looked completely toothless up in Yorkshire yesterday, managing just three shots on target in the entire 90 minutes and having Hugo Lloris to thank for saving their blushes with a number of top-class saves.

While Sergio Reguilon faced a lot of criticism for his performance, it was arguably Eric Dier who was Spurs’ worst-performing player on the day. The England international looked all at sea with the pace and movement of Leeds’ attack and was caught out by a near-post cross for Patrick Bamford’s goal.

That prompted Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold to remark on Twitter that Dier had fallen “asleep”, and his lack of understanding for when to track runners must have been deeply frustrating for Mason to watch from the technical area.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old won just two tackles in the entire game, with even Giovani Lo Celso winning more, and he triumphed in only four of his nine total duels.

It wasn’t just defensively that he struggled however, with the centre-back unable to keep calm when in possession, conceding the ball on 12 separate occasions and being hurried into going long by Leeds’ constant pressing.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Football.London, Gold gave him a lowly three, saying: “A tough afternoon for the player up against Bamford and was at fault for his goal as he was caught watching the ball as the Leeds ace nipped ahead of him to net. Not a good game at all from the England international in front of Gareth Southgate.”

While Reguilon may shoulder a lot of the blame for his role in a couple of Leeds’ goals, Dier’s overall performance was arguably even worse. Here was an experienced head completely letting his rookie manager down.

Dier was a complete liability with his positioning at the back, and it must raise even more questions as to why Joe Rodon doesn’t start regularly for Spurs.

In other news, this manager could restore shades of Pochettino if Spurs choose him as Mourinho’s successor.

Many Everton fans have been left to flock to an update from the Goodison Park faithful on Francis Jeffers.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, Jeffers has left his role as coach of the U23s to take up a new position with Ipswich Town.

He joins the EFL League One side as a first-team coach and will work with their current manager Paul Cook.

The update certainly caused some stir among several Toffees supporters, given Jeffers’ controversial past with them, as he famously rejected a lucrative contract with his boyhood club in the hope to join Arsenal, where he would earn more money (BBC Sport).

Nonetheless, some Blues seem to be more than happy to see the back of him as he continues his coaching journey with the Tractor Boys.

Everton fans on Jeffers update

These EFC fans flocked to the update as it was shared on Twitter to give their thoughts on Jeffers:

“Good!! He shouldn’t have been near the place”

Credit: @andyunz

“Good.”

Credit: @lukeWilko1878

“Made up”

Credit: @gwladysmattEFC

“££££££££££££”

Credit: @johnmcpartlan16

“Jumping ship again”

Credit: @carlofantasico

“Good riddance”

Credit: @TopBalc

In other news, find out what transfer update Toffees have flocked to here!

Alex McLeish has urged Celtic to land Everton striker Josh King this summer.

The Hoops have been linked with a move for the Norwegian forward should Eddie Howe take over as their new manager ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

King set for Everton exit

The 29-year-old made the move to Merseyside on a short-term deal back in January, but he looks set to depart Goodison Park at the end of the season.

King, who recorded a quicker top speed than Marcus Rashford last season, is thought to be on £45,000-a-week with the Toffees.

Talking exclusively to Football Insider, McLeish urged Celtic to land the Norway striker, labelling him as a potential ‘tremendous addition’.

“If Josh has still got his speed, then yes. He is a higher level player than the Scottish Premier League.

“We’ve said that about some other players and they haven’t quite worked out in the Scottish Premiership for one reason or another.

“However, Josh is quick and he knows his way around the penalty boxes. If he still retains that speed, still has that speed, then yes, it would be a tremendous addition to Celtic’s frontline.”

Transfer Tavern take

We’re with McLeish in believing that King could be a ‘tremendous addition’ to Celtic’s attacking ranks, especially with Odsonne Edouard pushing for a Parkhead exit.

Should Howe arrive in Glasgow, the Norwegian could then become the ideal replacement for the France under-21 international. King has scored 48 goals in the Premier League, has more than 50 international caps under his belt and won’t turn 30 until 2022.

A free transfer could be just what Celtic need.

In other news: Celtic could release one player this summer, find out who it is here. 

Southampton fans are livid after their U23 side lost 7-1 to Leicester City on Monday.

It has not been the best few days for the St Mary’s outfit. On Sunday, they were defeated 1-0 by the Foxes at Wembley in the F.A Cup semi-final with a pitiful performance. Despite what was a massive occasion, they failed to even muster up a single shot on target (SofaScore). Quite frankly, that just isn’t good enough.

On Monday, their development squad faced the East Midlands side’s equivalent. Although it was only 2-1 at half-time, they ended up being defeated by six goals. The result now means Southampton are bottom of the Premier League 2 South section, having won just four matches so far this season in 22 outings (FlashScore).

The result was shared by the club’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Saints supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their disgust at the outcome.

Let’s see what the Southampton fans had to say below

“Gao out”

Credit: @clkj15

“The club is rotten”

Credit: @Ak_Wharton

“Yup, Leicester built on it for sure. Utter shambles.”

Credit: @ipalacio

“If this happened as regularly as it is nowadays under Les Reed there would of been riots. This is down to both Ralph & Matt Crocker. Seriously need to sort it out.”

Credit: @andrewhal20

“Shambles of a club in every level at the moment. Changes needed.”

Credit: @Jimwhite72

“Cracked me up seeing this. Not even any message with the pic. It is actually excruciating being a saints fan isn’t it.”

Credit: @Leweyd90

In other news, Southampton fans slammed this man at Wembley.

Liverpool could be set to commit a huge transfer mistake with the club apparently not eyeing a striker in the summer window.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Reds are currently happy with their forward line and have no ambitions to swoop for a big-money forward having previously been linked with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Speaking exclusively to GiveMeSport, when asked if the Reds could be in the mix for Haaland this summer, Romano said: “I think Liverpool is complicated in this moment because they are happy with the team they have, so they’re not planning to do something like (sign) a central striker for this money.”

This could be a decision that comes back to bite the reigning Premier League champions.

The Reds have certainly not been at their prolific best throughout the 2020/21 league campaign. Jurgen Klopp’s troops have only scored 48 goals this season.

Whilst not the worst total, with only four sides in the entire top-flight having found the net with more regularity, it is a stark drop-off from the 66 that they had plundered at the same stage last season.

As a matter of fact, a huge reason behind the Reds’ dramatic poor form this season has been their inability to find the net. In their last 13 Premier League matches since the turn of the year, Liverpool have scored just 11 goals – failing to score in eight matches alone since mid-December.

That lack of goalscoring threat comes directly from their strikers.

Whilst the likes of Mo Salah and Diogo Jota have all found the net with ruthless efficiency, strikers Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi have only seven between them in all competitions.

For a side that harbours aspirations of challenging on all fronts under Jurgen Klopp, that is simply not good enough.

The arrival of a striker would go some way in rectifying those problems and it would be a huge mistake for Michael Edwards not to at least try to sign a clinical frontman in the summer despite Klopp being “happy” with his squad, according to Romano.

If you would like to see the full interview with Fabrizio Romano, click here.

AND in more news, take a look at which former Premier League midfielder the Reds should avoid signing in the summer…

Former Leicester City man Keith Gillespie insists that there is no need to panic over Jamie Vardy’s recent struggles in front of goal in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The forward has scored 12 goals in 26 Premier League games for the Foxes this season but he has scored just once in his last 12 games.

He drew another blank at the weekend against Manchester City, as the Foxes lost 2-0, and his form has been alarming given his history of hitting the back of the net reliably.

In his first 12 games of the season, Vardy scored 10 goals, but Gillespie, who played for the Foxes between 2003 and 2005, insists manager Brendan Rodgers will have no concerns over the 34-year-old.

Indeed, Leicester have three other players who have scored over 10 goals this season, in Harvey Barnes, Kelechi Iheanacho, and James Maddison.

Gillespie told FFC: “Strikers do go through patches when they don’t score and things don’t go right for them. I think there was a period when they relied on Jamie Vardy’s goals so much but now Iheanacho’s weighing in, you had James Maddison before that, you had Harvey Barnes as well, so there wasn’t that reliance on Jamie Vardy week in, week out.

“You know what Brendan Rodgers thinks of Jamie Vardy because we’ve never, ever questioned it and gone ‘he’s only got one goal in 12 games, is he going to play the next game?’ Of course he’s going to play the next game because he’s still important to them.

“He’s an unselfish striker, the work rate that he puts in.”

Vardy has scored 20 goals or more on three occasions in the Premier League, in 2015/16, 2017/18, and 2019/20.

After a disappointing 0-0 draw against Wolves last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Newcastle tonight.

Dean Smith’s side are in a bit of a rut at the moment, having won just once in their previous five games in the league, and their hopes of a surprise European finish this season has taken a major dent.

A clash against the Magpies, who currently sit 16th in the table, offers them the perfect chance to bounce back; but after the draw against Wolves, Smith may look to freshen things up a little by making some key changes.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Villa might line up.

In goal, Emi Martinez will keep his place in between the sticks after yet another standout display for Villa last time out against Wolves – the Argentine pulled off a couple of point-blank saves to preserve his clean sheet, including a stunning one at the feet of Conor Coady.

Villa were handed a major injury boost before the game with confirmation from the manager that summer signing Matty Cash is fit and raring to go, and that should see Ahmed Elmohamady drop back to the bench after he deputised for the former Nottingham Forest man recently.

In midfield, Morgan Sanson could drop out of the starting XI after making his first start in the Premier League last week, with Jacob Ramsey surely pushing for a recall to give Villa something extra in attack.

Further ahead, the £78,000-a-week earning Bertrand Traore hasn’t been in the greatest of form in recent weeks and is surely in need of being dropped, and that could see Anwar El Ghazi potentially make his return after his comeback from injury.

Throwing Cash and El Ghazi back into the line-up after only just making their way back from injury would be some big calls to make from Smith, but they could inject a sense of much-needed energy and freshness to the side amid their recent dip in form.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Nakamba, Luiz; Trezeguet, Ramsey, El Ghazi; Watkins.

Meanwhile, Villa should unleash this “sensational” star tonight…