Everton have had a whirlwind of a season, feeling almost every emotion there is to feel in football, including the heart-stopping, gut-wrenching nerves of being sat in the relegation zone.

But the Blues have pulled it all back in magnificent style, clawing their way out of the bottom three to sit comfortably just six points behind sixth-placed Wolves. Not everyone has pulled their weight in this uphill battle, though, and here’s a look at a couple who are guilty as charged…

Gylfi Sigurdsson

Really shocking stuff to see how much the Icelandic midfielder has declined this campaign. When he joined Everton back in 2017, he boasted an impressive 10 goal and 13 assist final season with Swansea and was hailed for his impressive free-kicks and strikes from long-range.

However, the 30-year-old is a shell of the talent that caught Everton’s eye and this season has been a torrid one for both parties. Sigurdsson has registered just one goal and one assist in the Premier League this term, nowhere near on track to match last year’s 13 goals and six assists.

The skipper’s latest performance against Chelsea was nothing short of abysmal. Sigurdsson made no attempt to shoot, failed to win a single duel and attempted no tackles, interceptions or blocks. It was clean sweep of poor player performances in that game, but the Iceland international was the stand out underperformer. His football has been woeful and his attitude seems to be even worse.

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Tom Davies

For a player who does a lot for the club’s charity, Tom Davies doesn’t make much of an impact on the pitch. The 21-year-old has earned himself a measly WhoScored rating of 6.4 so far this season.

His weaknesses have been identified as passing, tackling and discipline which wouldn’t be too worrying if he was creating goals or banging them in himself. But Davies has scored just one goal in 21 league appearances this season. So what is he actually bringing to this Everton side?

He has started 15 Premier League games this term, playing the full 90 minutes on 12 occasions. Carlo Ancelotti must see something in him in order for Davies to have retained his place in the lineup, but as the transfer window approaches, he will need to start thinking about fighting for a starting position. There’s only so far being a ‘young, local lad’ can carry you.

Everton fans, do you agree with the above or are there other players who just haven’t pulled their weight this season?

A number of Manchester City fans have given their approval to a claim made about Sergio Aguero – by a player from one of their Premier League rivals.

As per Football Daily in a clip shared on Twitter via @City_Xtra, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk was asked by Jamie Redknapp to name the toughest opponent he has encountered in England, with the Dutchman replying that Aguero is the best striker he has faced in the Premier League.

Van Dijk’s high praise for the Manchester City forward reciprocates comments that Aguero made to Argentine media outlet El Chiringuito last week [via Goal.com], when the 31-year-old hailed the Liverpool man as “one of the best centre-backs in the world”.

The two players have strong claims to be among the foremost players in their respective positions in the Premier League. Aguero is the league’s joint-third highest scorer this season with 16 goals and the fourth-highest scorer in the division’s history on 180 goals, while Van Dijk is the reigning PFA Player of the Year and has been ever-present in a Liverpool side with the best defence in the league this term.

These Manchester City fans on Twitter appreciated the Dutchman’s glowing praise of Aguero:

Man City fans, did you like Van Dijk’s remarks about Aguero? Share your views in the comments section below!

ScorecardTanmay Mishra held Kenya’s innings together•ICC/Helge Schutz

Tanmay Mishra’s maiden first-class hundred helped Kenya towards a useful total on the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia. Mishra’s 108, alongside a half-century for Collins Obuya, guided Kenya to 297 for 7 at the close.Mishra struck 17 boundaries in his 200-ball innings before falling in the final over of the day, bowled by Ian Opperman, to even the scales. The early advantage had gone to Namibia before the visitors fought back during the second two sessions.Jason Davidson, making his first-class debut, claimed the first two wickets when he had Irfam Karim and Duncan Allan caught behind and when Alex Obanda departed Kenya were 71 for 3.Mishra and Obuya, the captain, steadied the innings with a stand of 99 until Christi Viljoen returned to trap Obuya lbw for 56 and he soon added Rakep Patel. Mishra then found another solid partner in Maurice Ouma to add 65 for the sixth wicket and Hiren Varaiya also played a valuable role.The match was originally scheduled for Mombasa but was moved due to safety concerns, although still classes as a home fixture for Kenya.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German media outlet RB Live (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite The Athletic recently revealing that the RB Leipzig centre-back is the first name on Fabio Paratici’s list of targets ahead of the summer transfer window, the chances of the 20-year-old linking up with Antonio Conte’s side this summer are extremely thin.

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The report goes on to state that the Croatia international has himself ruled out a departure from the Red Bull Arena at the end of the current campaign, while it is also claimed that the defender is likely to have a release clause written into his contract that is much higher than the €50m (£42m) figure mentioned as the potential cost of his transfer.

Paratici must act

Considering just how impressive Gvardiol has been following his €16m (£13m) move to RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2020, in addition to Antonio Conte’s well-documented desire to add a top left-sided centre-back to his Spurs side this summer, Paratici simply must do everything in his power to seal the 20-year-old’s signing.

Indeed, over his 27 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £100m-rated Croatian has been imperious in the heart of the Leipzig defence, helping his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, two clearances and winning 6.1 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £21k-per-week centre-back has also contributed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 60.1 passes, 3.5 long balls and taking 0.9 shots per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Ivica Olic dubbed “extraordinary” and claimed “everyone is talking about” average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Domenico Tedesco’s joint third-best player in the top flight of German football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Gvardiol would make an excellent addition to Conte’s current options in his Tottenham backline, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all he can to land the 20-year-old prodigy this summer – even if it means breaking Tottenham’s current incoming transfer record of £54m.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe £55m “disaster” as Spurs plot £60m bid for “unbelievable” talent

Manoj Tiwary, the middle-order batsman, remains positive despite again failing to find a place in the India Test squad, at least for the first two games against England.Tiwary impressed during India A’s match against England last week and through his limited international opportunities, but he said he wasn’t letting the disappointment of being left out set in and is hoping to keep pushing his case through performances in the Ranji Trophy.Tiwary got the selection news during tea on the fourth day of Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Rajasthan and he said that although the news bothered him, he was focused and in the right frame of mind for the next game.”There were a lot of thoughts that came into my mind when I came to know about it,” Tiwary said. “But we’ve quite a few games coming up. I always try to motivate myself by thinking that I have a lot of time. I am young, and touch wood, things will fall in place. The big runs will come. I just have to be patient.”Last week, Tiwary was the top-scorer for India A in a batting line-up which had at least three contenders for the No. 6 batting spot. Yuvraj Singh, who scored an aggressive 59 in that game, got the selector’s nod ahead of Suresh Raina and Tiwary.”It’s a part and parcel of any sportsman’s life. I’ve taken it in a positive way and in the right spirit. I love playing for Bengal. I’m a firm believer that day is not far away when things will fall in place. It would be a dream come true if I get to debut at the Eden.”

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Widespread Twitter claims on Tuesday night said that on-loan Everton midfielder Mo Besic was one of three Middlesbrough players to mock the travelling fans following the club’s FA Cup exit at Newport County on Tuesday night, and Boro fans were quick to react on Twitter.

The Championship club would have had high hopes of reaching the fifth round and hosting Manchester City as a result as they made the journey south to face their League Two opponents, but instead they were on the end of a shock 2-0 defeat that saw them dumped out of the competition.

In what was a poor performance, it has been alleged by some travelling supporters that Besic, along with teammates Adam Clayton and Rudy Gestede, acted in appropriately towards them at the final whistle, with the Toffees man said to have mimicked somebody crying.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international re-joined Boro on a season-long loan deal during the summer transfer window having enjoyed a similar temporary spell at the Riverside Stadium last term, but the latest incident hardly paints him a good light – if true, of course.

Middlesbrough fans took to social media to have their say on the 26-year-old’s alleged actions, and while one told him to “get out of our club now”, another labelled it as “disgraceful”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accessory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

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The Sun recently reported that West Ham United are planning to sign Manchester United veteran Antonio Valencia in the upcoming summer transfer window if Pablo Zabaleta decides to retire at the end of the season.

At 33 years old, Valencia’s playing career is nearing its end. The Red Devils’ club captain is no longer a regular at Old Trafford, having only made five Premier League appearances so far this season, as per Transfermarkt’s stats. 

Valencia’s contract with Manchester United is set to expire at the end of the season, so the Hammers ought to be able to bring him to the London Stadium on a free transfer if a replacement for Zabaleta is needed. Valencia’s arrival would certainly have some knock-on effects in east London.

Football FanCast take a look at the potential consequences below…

Faith in Fredericks

If Zabaleta does decide to retire then Pellegrini will need to find a new right-back to compete with Ryan Fredericks for the starting berth. However, by bringing in Valencia to fill that role, the Chilean coach is essentially investing his faith in Fredericks. 

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Valencia isn’t capable of playing week in, week out anymore, so his role in the squad will be limited to offering a back up and rotation option only. Fredericks will be playing the bulk of the football. From the glimpses we’ve seen of 26-year-old this season it’s clear that he still has a way to go to convince that he has what it takes to thrive at the top level.

By not bringing in a younger option to compete with Fredericks, Pellegrini would be indicating that he believes that the former Fulham full-back has what it takes.

The repetition of past mistakes

Last season, West Ham signed then-36-year-old full-back Patrice Evra on a free transfer. The switch turned out to be a disaster. The Frenchman could no longer keep up with the pace of the Premier League and his decline was cruelly exposed in east London.

Bringing in Valencia would run the risk of repeating this mistake. Just as Evra’s shortcomings were revealed, the Ecuadorian’s could be too. West Ham’s defence wouldn’t be improved in this situation, and as Evra proved to be, Valencia could become a liability at the back for the Irons.

More trouble for Gold and Sullivan

Last February, West Ham co-owner David Sullivan made a commitment to West Ham fans about improving the club’s recruitment structure. This promise appeared to have been kept in the summer, as big money was spent to bring the likes of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Issa Diop and Jack Wilshere, amongst others, to the club.

However, signing Valencia in the summer could see Sullivan, and fellow co-owner David Gold, come under fire from the supporters once again. Bringing the 93-cap Ecuador international to the club could be seen as a sign of slipping back into bad, old habits – signing cheap, ageing, declining stars, rather than building for the future and investing in the next generation of emerging players.

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Leeds United were set to sign Swansea winger Daniel James until the final minutes of deadline day, but attentions are now turning to Burnley’s Aaron Lennon per The Sun.

What’s the word?

James had been identified as Marcelo Bielsa’s top January target from an early stage, but negotiations between Leeds and Swansea proved difficult for much of the month.

It was not until last Thursday’s deadline day that an agreement seemed to be reached. The winger held his medical early in the day, only for the Welsh outfit to pull the plug on a £1.5million loan with an obligation to buy should United secure promotion to the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Rather than returning to the Swans star in the summer, though, The Sun are suggesting that Bielsa is looking to tempt Lennon into a homecoming.

Lennon began his career at Elland Road after emerging from United’s youth ranks, and is out of contract at Turf Moor at the end of next season. It would not have made sense to target the 31-year-old in January, as the former England international is currently sidelined with a potentially season-ending knee injury.

Who should Bielsa target?

Depending on James’ performances for the remainder of the season, Bielsa opting to favour the 31-year-old winger instead may prove to be the correct decision – although there is no explicit suggestion that Leeds won’t try to sign both.

The current roster at Elland Road does not boast a great deal of top-flight experience, whereas Lennon has been a regular feature in the Premier League for more than a decade and has recorded 67 appearances in the Champions League and Europa League combined.

The £4.5million rated winger has also shown that he still has a lot to offer any side in England’s top division since moving to Burnley.

James, on the other hand, has only managed 18 appearances in the Championship with the current campaign his breakthrough season.

تواصلت إدارة نادي الهلال السعودي مع محمد الشلهوب اللاعب المعتزل حديثًا، من أجل العودة والمشاركة خلال مواجهة الفريق المقبلة أمام شاهر خودرو الإيراني في دوري أبطال آسيا.

وكانت إدارة الهلال قد تقدمت بطلب إلى الاتحاد الآسيوي لكرة القدم، من أجل تأجيل المباراة بسبب وصول عدد المصابين بفيروس كورونا داخل صفوف الفريق إلى 15 حالة.

طالع | الهلال يطلب تأجيل مباراته في دوري أبطال آسيا بعد إصابة 15 لاعبًا بـ كورونا

وأفادت صحيفة الرياضية السعودية، أن إدارة الهلال السعودي طلبت من محمد الشلهوب المسجل بكشوفات البطولة الآسيوية السفر اليوم الأحد إلى العاصمة القطرية من أجل اللحاق ببعثة الفريق.

ويواجه الهلال السعودي نظيره شاهر خودرو الإيراني مساء يوم غد الأحد، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الخامسة من دور المجموعات للبطولة القارية.

وأجرى اللاعب مسحة طبية للتأكد من سلامته، عملاً بإجراءات الاتحاد الآسيوي لكرة القدم.

وكانت إدارة الهلال قد أكد أن من ضمن الحالات المصابة بفيروس كورونا كل من علي آل بليهي، متعب المفرج، وبافيتمبي جوميز.

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Rangers’ chances of winning the Scottish Premiership title have surely increased following the news that Brendan Rodgers is set to leave Celtic to take up the vacant post at Leicester City, but it leaves Steven Gerrard with a vital job to carry out, and probably the most important of his tenure to date.

On the chalkboard

A loss against Kilmarnock after the winter break and a goalless draw at home to St Johnstone earlier this month looked to have fatally damaged the Glasgow giants’ hopes of winning the league this season, given how formidable the Bhoys appeared under their Northern Irish manager.

However, there is no doubt that his departure could easily affect the players and the club’s performances on the pitch even with Neil Lennon reportedly agreeing to succeed him, and their local neighbours will know that they potentially have a big opportunity to grasp in the coming weeks and months with the gap lying at eight points ahead of their Wednesday fixture against Dundee.

One thing that has cost them before could ultimately do so again in their renweed title bid though, and Gerrard needs to ensure that it doesn’t happen.

No more complacency

It is something that the 38-year-old has accused his team of already this term, and he certainly cannot afford to let it rear its ugly ahead again anytime soon.

Suddenly the pressure if off of his side and all on Celtic, but the Rangers players simply can’t get into a mindset where they feel that they can easily win every game they turn up to – because it doesn’t happen like that, as they have learned against Kilmarnock and St Johnstone already in 2019.

Gerrard has obviously failed to eradicate it previously, but now he has the most important job of his Rangers reign to date so it doesn’t happen again and so they can push their arch-enemies all the way.