Loads of Everton fans have been giving their verdict on the defeat to Manchester City, and they’re absolutely furious with the performance of Theo Walcott.
Everton gave a pretty good account of themselves on Wednesday night, or at least put in an awful lot more effort than Liverpool fans expected them to.
The Toffees stumped the champions for 45 minutes in a hotly-contested encounter at Goodison Park, but Aymeric Laporte headed the visitors in front shortly before half time.
Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…
The second half was somewhat of a disappointment after some positive signs in the first period, as neither team really showed their best stuff before Gabriel Jesus put the game to bed with a late and rather scrappy goal.
While this was a much better performance from the Toffees, fans are fuming at Walcott, who had the lowest pass completion rate of any outfield player, converting just 56 per cent of his pass attempts.
The 29 year-old arrived last January under Sam Allardyce, but has scored just six league goals in his first 12 months on Merseyside, and he was practically invisible against Manchester City.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Theo…
Late Thursday evening the January transfer window slammed shut. It did not simply close, itself an impossibility due to there not actually being a real window involved at all but rather a fanciful, figurative construct. It slammed, dramatically.
And when it did it brought to an end a gripping, momentous and elongated day where the highlight amidst the fireworks and screaming hoopla was the revelation that a 38-year-old who you sort of thought still played for a Premier League club had signed for a short while for a Premier League club. There he will make occasional twenty-minute cameos until May.
Peter Crouch’s switch to Burnley was described across the media as a ‘no-brainer’. Andy Townsend said it. Stephen Warnock said it. This is strange given that a good number of Clarets fans were genuinely despondent at seeing Turf Moor favourite Sam Vokes head in the opposite direction but it shouldn’t be forgotten that this is transfer deadline day and for this very special occasion – as with many occasions – supporters’ feelings don’t matter a jot.
We are ‘there’ merely as an audience; to act as background colour and nothing more. At best we are reduced to tweets that agree with the narrative that this is the greatest, entirely upbeat and most wonderful day in the footballing calendar. Our Christmas if you like. We are expected to whoop and rejoice and bizarrely this year wear yellow because a television presenter dons a yellow tie when he presents a television programme. He is portrayed as transfer deadline day’s Santa Claus. Most of us can’t stand him.
In essence we are viewed as those fake fans you see on pizza commercials during major tournaments, the group of Friends-wannabes who huddle on a single leather sofa in a loft conversion and cheer with their perfect teeth at a free-kick being awarded. They cheer in the most anodyne fashion imaginable yet still it’s enough to send a table of snacks flying through the air in slow motion.
That’s who we are to Sky. Props to prop up the illusion.
For the record, this past month has heralded some fairly interesting moves. Michy Batshuayi’s loan spell at Crystal Palace offers intrigue, as too does Denis Suarez’s temporarily secondment to Arsenal. In a shocking development Newcastle signed two players and even if Danny Mills hasn’t heard of Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron, he is of the ilk and calibre that Rafa Benitez has long coveted. Perhaps though the most noteworthy union is Youri Tielemans to Leicester. The 21-year-old midfielder has been arguably Monaco’s only bright spark this season so his loan deal confounds.
Crystal Palace Michy Batshuayi Selhurst Park Eagles Roy Hodgson CPFC
Fulham meanwhile have taken the unusual approach of pretending their current plight isn’t really happening by going back in time to sign Ryan Babel and Lazar Markovic. When the duo were reasonably good Fulham were reasonably good. That seems to be the equation.
Throw in Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea and for once we have a fairly interesting assortment of transfers over the course of a month but of course deadline day itself was ultimately underwhelming. That’s because it always is and perhaps always will be. The last decent one was all the way back in 2011 when Fernando Torres upped sticks for London and Liverpool immediately splurged their bonanza on Andy Carroll. It is doubtful we will ever again see such unexpected entertainment – that was a one-off.
Barring the recruitment of an 18-year-old set to be integrated into the Manchester City franchise and Suarez’s arrival, no club residing in the top six got involved nor were they ever going to. It’s January: a time for panic and revision and high-flying sides simply don’t need to resort to such measures. Thursday then played out exactly as its reality dictated. For several clubs it was a final chance to nail down some loans and deal with admin. That aside it was business as usual.
You certainly wouldn’t have thought this however from watching Sky Sports on an endless loop. There it was a circus with Sam Allardyce-shaped clowns and acrobats juggling phones. It was by turns manufactured fun and urgent, this-just-in melodrama that had your senses believing we were at war. It was a relentless barrage of faux-hysteria.
You may think by reading this that I am disparaging of the whole charade. I’m not. Really. I think it’s fantastic. Because throughout a typical year, day in and day out, we are subjected to constant hype insisting upon us that football is significantly more important than it really is. And that’s fine because for most of the time we’re happy to buy into that. It benefits us because it excites us. It’s a two-way deal.
It is still healthy though that once a year, at the end of every January, we see the insincere disconnect of that hype; that we see the media tell us something is really, really important and really, really thrilling when we know it’s really, really not. Because then we’re reminded of the mechanisms in place; the artifice.
Late Thursday evening was our annual prompt that Oz is not real, and that behind the curtain is a small man who resembles Rupert Murdoch, selling us a story.
As a result of Chelsea’s string of poor results and performances, Maurizio Sarri’s future at Stamford Bridge has become increasingly uncertain.
And one club could be about to take advantage of that following their own struggles this season.
The Breakdown
According to Sky Sports, AS Roma, who also currently find themselves as outsiders in the race for Champions League qualification, have contacted Sarri’s representatives with the view of the Italian possibly taking the reins at the Stadio Olimpico next season.
Given what Sarri accomplished at Napoli, Roma’s reported approach comes as no surprise. And as things stand, a return to Serie A is probably in everyone’s best interest.
With Chelsea showing no signs that they will improve under Sarri, a change in the Stamford Bridge dugout may be necessary.
As for the 60-year-old, what he is trying to get across probably has a better chance of working at Roma than at Chelsea with this squad of players.
They, along with the country as a whole, simply are not buying into his idea of football and what he is trying to deliver.
The whole N’Golo Kante and Jorginho situation epitomises that and is something more likely to be understood in his homeland where aspects of the game are viewed differently.
Ultimately, unless things quickly change, a divorce cannot come soon enough with Roma the perfect rebound for Sarri.
According to respected journalist Alan Nixon, Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for Swansea defender Mike van der Hoorn, who will be available on a free in the summer when his contract expires.
What’s the word, then?
The Dutchman has started all 30 of the Swans’ Championship games this season, scoring two goals and recording an assist as the Welsh club sit 13th in the table.
Swansea got rid of Jefferson Montero, Tom Carroll and Wilfried Bony on deadline day, and also came close to selling both Daniel James and Leroy Fer as the recently relegated side embarked on a fire sale, much to the disgust of the club’s supporters.
Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…
Chairman Huw Jenkins also resigned just days after deadline day, which suggests all is not well at the Liberty Stadium – by the sounds of things, 26-year-old van der Hoorn may be the next key player to leave the club.
Where would he fit in at Villa?
The Villains managed to sign Tyrone Mings from Bournemouth on a six-month loan on deadline day, although a permanent deal for the Englishman could be too far-fetched as he appears to be well thought of at the Vitality Stadium.
In that respect, if the Cherries do decide to keep Mings and refuse to sell him to the Midlands-based side, Dean Smith may potentially be eyeing the move for van der Hoorn as an option to compensate for the loss of Mings.
The aforementioned report from Nixon states that Villa were priced out of a move for the former Ajax defender earlier in January, so it is possible that they signed Mings instead with a view to getting their first choice target in the summer.
Loan star Axel Tuanzebe is also set to return to Manchester United in the summer, so a move for another centre-back would be a wise one for Villa.
أفادت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، أن نادي ليدز يونايتد يكثف مفاوضاته لضم الويلزي دانييل جيمس لاعب مانشستر يونايتد، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.
بعد صفقات مانشستر يونايتد هذا الموسم، أصبح دور دانييل جيمس مُهمش في النادي الأحمر، ويبحث عن مخرج للحصول على الفرصة كاملة للمشاركة.
طالع أيضًا.. إيفرا يفتح النار على إدارة مانشستر يونايتد ويؤكد: سولشاير نجح فيما فشل فيه مورينيو
صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية، أفادت أن ليدز يونايتد يقدم 12 مليون جنيه إسترليني للتعاقد مع دانييل جيمس، بطلب من المدرب مارسيلو بيلسا بعد صعود ليدز لـ الدوري الإنجليزي.
وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن بيلسا يرى بأن جيمس مناسب لأسلوب اللعب الذي يطبقه الفريق، وكان يرغب في ضمه قبل أن ينتقل إلى مانشستر يونايتد.
وتألق دانييل جيمس مع سوانزي سيتي الويلزي بالدرجة الأولى الإنجليزية، وواجه مارسيلو كثيرًا في الموسم قبل الماضي، ويعرف المدرب الأرجنتيني امكانيات الويلزي جيدًا.
Leighton Baines started at left-back the last time Everton tasted victory in a Merseyside derby but, despite the fact he remains at the club more than eight years later, Lucas Digne looks the most likely candidate to line up on the left side of the back-four when the sides go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon.
If ever there was a time for the Toffees to end their derby-day hoodoo.
A victory for Manchester City against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon will put the current champions above Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp’s side kick-off on Sunday. The added incentive of denting the title ambitions of their local-rivals certainly adds an extra dimension to the fixture for the Evertonians.
For Digne, this will be his first taste of derby-day action at Goodison. The reverse fixture at Anfield lacked the bite and intensity which one would expect to see from a clash between two historic rivals, but it only takes a thundering challenge in the opening moments of the game to bring the home crowd into play.
Rugged challenges are not what Digne is renowned for, nor are they something which has been expected of him in the past; his repertoire is built around a relentless endeavour to stomp into opposition territory, where he can utilise his textbook technique, whipping crosses into dangerous areas and picking the defensive lock with quick one-twos.
But the Frenchman needs only to take a brief look into the past to acknowledge that he must broaden his pallet in order to suffocate Mo Salah’s influence. In Liverpool’s last game against Manchester United, Luke Shaw, who signed for £27 million in 2014, bossed the Egyptian and delivered the type of big-game performance which is needed to keep the superstar forward at bay.
If the former Barcelona talent can emulate Shaw then Everton will have a fantastic opportunity to keep a clean sheet and claim the bragging rights which have eluded them for the best part of a decade.
There is another aspect to the fixture, though, which suggests Digne could be of paramount importance. Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting XI against Watford in midweek with a game-changing bang: he provided assists for three of Liverpool’s five goals.
Not only will Digne need to communicate effectively with Everton’s left-winger to ensure the marauding full-back is tracked effectively and consistently throughout, he will also need to test Alexander-Anrold’s resolve in the final-third by overlapping and restricting the right-back’s movement into the final-third.
It would be a gross exaggeration to describe Alexander-Arnold as defensively suspect, but there are certainly holes within his game to be exploited and, considering he is not fully match fit after a spell on the sidelines, Digne could use a potential frailty to his advantage.
Marcel Brands’ decision to bring the left-back from Catalonia to Merseyside has been relatively popular so far. There are, however, plenty of sceptics who struggle to share the opinion of those who laud Digne’s quality.
Starring in a rare Merseyside derby victory would be the perfect way for the full-back to announce himself to the Goodison Park faithful.
Following Brendan Rodgers’ appointment as the new Leicester City manager, Celtic announced that Neil Lennon has taken up the hot seat at Celtic Park on an interim basis.
Lennon takes over with the Bhoys well placed to complete a historic treble treble – winning all three domestic trophies in three consecutive seasons. Not only that, but the club are also currently chasing their eighth successive Premiership title. The club want ten league titles in a row, and Lennon will be expected to keep that dream alive.
This is Lennon’s second stint in charge of the Hoops. The 47-year-old former midfielder was previously in command between 2010 and 2014, delivering two league titles in that time. He also spent seven years with the Glasgow outfit as a player, winning five league titles in that period.
Lennon will be hoping to add to his silverware this season, though he faces a tough task in following Rodgers who took the Hoops to new heights in his time in charge.
Following Lennon’s appointment, loads of Celtic fans took to Twitter to give their reactions to the big announcement…
Paris Saint-Germain took advantage of their Champions League last 16 tie against Manchester United by winning 2-0 in the first leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, and Liverpool fans were clearly impressed with what they saw from Marquinhos given their reactions on Twitter.
The 24-year-old has primarily been known as a centre-back throughout his career to date, but PSG manager Thomas Tuchel has often utilised him in a defensive midfield role this term – as he did against the Merseyside outfit earlier this term – and he chose to do the same against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
The Brazil international was seemingly tasked with man-marking Red Devils star Paul Pogba out of the game and he certainly did a brilliant job, with the Frenchman even being dismissed in the closing stages of the game.
Fans of United’s arch-rivals Liverpool were clear in their thoughts on social media – they would love for their club to sign Marquinhos, who would presumably compete against the likes of Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson for a spot in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI.
While one Liverpool supporter described the South American as an “amazing partner for VVD”, another said “Edwards do ya stuff”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
Are fan nerves to blame for Liverpool’s recent form? Pl>ymaker FC’s Tom Skinner discusses in the video below…
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi is reportedly on the radar of Bundesliga side Schalke, who are said to be monitoring the forward’s availability amid doubts over his chances of obtaining a work permit.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Nigerian international has been on the Reds’ books since 2015, but he is yet to make a senior appearance for the club as he does not qualify for a work permit.
The 21-year-old has had loan spells with FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen and Gent since signing for Liverpool, and is currently out on loan with Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron – his second stint at the club.
Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…
Awoniyi has impressed for the Pro League side this season, notching six goals in seven games since returning to the club in January after spending the first half of the campaign with Gent.
Liverpool would want a fee in excess of £13m for the youngster if his work permit status is not resolved, whilst they are also open to another loan deal.
Bad news for English clubs
The Merseysiders offered Awoniyi an improved five-year contract extension last summer, which he duly signed, but the Reds’ hopes of seeing the young Nigerian in action for them will surely be dealt a blow by the impending introduction of Brexit.
Under the incoming rules, players such as Jorginho, Riyad Mahrez and Alexandre Lacazette would have struggled to qualify for a work permit to play in the Premier League – it would be near impossible for the Algerian international Mahrez to have made the move to Leicester he did back in 2014 under the incoming restrictions.
For players of that calibre not to be allowed to play in England speaks volumes about young prospects such as Awoniyi ever getting the chance to play here, which is bad news for English clubs but great news for teams such as Schalke who are monitoring Awoniyi’s situation.
Liverpool fans may never get to see the youngster wear the badge in front of them, despite their obvious high hopes for him.
كشف مرتضى منصور رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، تطورات ملف التعاقد مع المدير الفني الجديد خلفًا للفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون.
وقال منصور في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الزمالك”: “فيريرا أرسل رسالة مكتوبة يؤكد لنا أنه يحترمنا ويقدرنا، وأحمد وأمير مرتضى وفاروق جعفر في جلسة الأن، ورأينا طلبات باتشيكو وفيريرا، وقولت لهم لا تتعجلوا في اختيار المدرب”.
وأضاف: “هناك 3 مدربين أخرين يتحدثون معهم ويمتلكون السير الذاتية المحترمة لهم بجانب باتشيكو وكالديرون والمدرب الإيطالي”.
وتطرق منصور للحديث عن مدرب الزمالك السابق باتريس كارتيرون بعد هزيمته اليوم بسداسية على يد الشارقة في دوري أبطال آسيا: “عندما كان لاعبًا في مع الزمالك حصل على بطولتين في أسبوع واحد، وعندما انتقل -للبنزينة- حدثت له انتكاسة خلال 48 ساعة”.
وواصل: “يا محمد القاسم ربنا لا يحب الافتراء مهما يكن وزنك ونفوذك، إياك أن تنسى، عندما تعاقدت مع كارتيرون كنت أول المجموعة، والأن أصبحت حصالة المجموعة”.
واستكمل: “أنباء رحيل فرجاني ساسي لبيراميدز غير صحيحة”.
وأردف: “اتمنى تحقيق المكسب وبقاء طنطا في الدوري لانهم يستحقوا”.
وأتم منصور حديثه مهاجمًا ثنائي الأهلي مصطفى شوبير ومحمود كهربا: “يوجد ولد صغير اسمه مصطفى شوبير يتكلم عن البطولات وأنه فاز بـ 2 دوري، هم يجاملوك من أجل أبيك”.
واختتم مرتضى منصور: “منذ انضمام كهربا للأهلي لم ينتصر في مباراة، ويدعي أنه فاز بالدوري، من فاز بالدوري هم أولاد النادي الأهلي وليس أنت”.