[ad_pod ]

According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, Everton and Liverpool are both interested in signing Real Sociedad defender Diego Llorente.

If the Reds’ interest is serious, then Everton would do well to win the race for the 25-year-old’s signature. However, if there is a chance of the Toffees being able to bring the Spaniard to Goodison Park this summer, then he is a target the Merseyside club should pursue.

Considering the two-cap Spain international has a Transfermarkt valuation of just £15.75 million, he ought to be well within Everton’s financial reach. However, bringing Llorente to Goodison to join Marco Silva’s squad would certainly have knock-on effects. We consider the potential consequences below…

No deal for Zouma

Kurt Zouma is currently on loan at Everton from Chelsea. The Frenchman has impressed generally this season and has been a regular starter under Silva. If they were able to, Everton would probably want to make the 24-year-old’s move to Merseyside a permanent one. 

However, a move for Llorente would suggest that Everton are resigned to the fate of losing Zouma this summer, something that may well be tied to the fact Chelsea won’t be able to recruit players in the next two transfer windows due to their transfer ban.

Jagielka finally forced out

Another player whose future would be cast into doubt by the arrival of Llorente is Phi Jagielka. The 36-year-old club-captain is out of contract anyway at the end of this campaign, but Silva has shown that he is open to extending the veteran former England international’s terms, or at least he hasn’t yet decided against it.

Yet, the acquisition of Llorente would surely eliminate the need to keep Jagielka at the club. After more than a decade at with Everton, fans will be sad to see the centre-back go, but it would likely be the inevitable outcome of Llorente’s arrival.

A move to a back three

If Llorente were to be signed, then he would join Michael Keane and Yerry Mina – both also signed within the last couple of years – in battling for a starting berth in the heart of the Toffees’ defence. As things stand, the Portuguese manager generally lines his side up with a back four. However, with three talented centre-backs on his books, he may be tempted to switch to a back three.

This move may offset some of his side’s frailties in the middle of the park. Aside from Idrissa Gueya, Everton lack steely, battling defensive-midfielders capable of breaking up opposition attacks. With an extra centre-back behind them, though, this may well matter less and make the team less vulnerable defensively – it will also allow Seamus Coleman and Lucas Digne to get a little further forward, where their qualities stand out the most.

[ad_pod ]

Everton fans have called on their club’s director of football Marcel Brands to attempt to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Manchester United in this summer’s transfer window.

Lukaku managed 87 goals in 166 appearances for Everton between 2013 and 2017 before moving to United ahead of the 2017-18 season.

The Belgium international struck 27 goals in all competitions for United last term, but has netted just nine this season.

Marcus Rashford has been preferred in the centre-forward position since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho as head coach in December.

As a result, Lukaku has mainly been restricted to a bit-part role.

The 25-year-old did start his team’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday, though, and put in a decent-enough performance.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Rashford’s excellent form could well end Lukaku’s United career, however, and a number of Everton fans have called on their club to re-sign the powerful forward.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Liverpool must move to bolster their options in defence when the transfer window opens in the summer.

After an injury crisis in the New Year, there were suggestions amongst certain sections of support that Jurgen Klopp would sign a defender in the January window. However, the German resisted the urge to panic buy a new defender and instead opted to use Fabinho in central defence. Injuries also allowed Ki-Jana Hoever to make his Liverpool debut after joining from Ajax – becoming the club’s youngest ever player to appear in the FA Cup.

With Joe Gomez picking up another long-term impact injury, both Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip has missed far too many games in the past few seasons to be reliable back up options. Liverpool can’t afford to lose Fabinho’s dynamism in the engine room and an injury to Virgil van Dijk could prove costly next season. Adding quality defensive reinforcements should be a priority for sporting director Michael Edwards.

One man the Liverpool hierarchy should be targeting is Fiorentina wonderkid – Nikola Milenkovic. Valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old has developed into a key player for his side since joining from Partizan Belgrade in the summer of 2017. Milenkovic is enjoying a fine season in the Serie A and has been subject of interest (according to La Republica via the Sun) from Manchester United who were looking to add a quality defender to their ranks.

The youngster is an excellent defender whose versatility will no doubt appeal to Klopp. Comfortable at both centre back or right back, he will provide quality cover for a variety of positions. Calm and composed on the ball, Milenkovic would have no issues adapting to Liverpool’s system. Winning three aerial duels per game in Italy, the physicality of life in England shouldn’t faze the Serbia international.

Still improving and developing, the Reds should do whatever they can to lure him to Anfield.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Manchester United handed rivals City a big favour as they held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Old Trafford yesterday afternoon.

The Red Devils overcame the odds somewhat in a bizarre game which saw injury after injury for United, including one for Jesse Lingard, who was only introduced himself in the first period.

However, the 0-0 scoreline was just reward for a dogged and determined display which left it all to play for at the top of the table and gave cross-city rivals City improved hopes of making it a second successive Premier League title.

Of course, the focus should be on United though, and in particular manager Solksjaer, who has been superb since stepping into the fold following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

His ability today to get the best out of a team which was seemingly being torn apart by injuries was to be admired, and it showed that he is not simply all about attacking and expansive football just to go about pleasing the fans at Old Trafford.

The assured way his players went about their business was testament to just how well Solskjaer has done at the club, and we think that the job is his in the summer barring an absolute disaster of events.

The Norwegian has earned his keep so to speak within the confines of the United supporters, and he will no doubt be impressing at board level too.

If he can keep getting the results, secure Champions League football, and deny Liverpool the title in any way he can, then he’ll be the man to take United forward 100%.

Where has it all gone wrong for Rangers this season? Flashback to the start of the season, and everything was looking rather rosy at Ibrox. A strong start to the SPFL season increased momentum, whilst good runs in domestic and continental cups were the cherry on top. It quickly began to appear as though Steven Gerrard was turning the Gers into the team that fans had been craving for years previously. 

Since that point, there have been more than a few highs. The most significant of these came back in December when Rangers were able to break the curse and defeat Celtic in the Old Firm derby. If nothing else, that game signified that Rangers were back in the big time.

However, whilst the season has had its moments, when you take off the Rangers-tinted lens, it’s actually been a pretty poor campaign for the Gers.

They’re going to finish the season without a trophy in all likelihood, with Celtic running away with the SPFL title at present, whilst the less said about their cup conquests the better. Knocked out by Aberdeen in both domestic cups and failing to get out of the Europa League group stage, Rangers have nothing to show for what admittedly were a few encouraging games in cup fixtures.

And that’s the real problem for Rangers. Nobody can deny that they’ve made progress this season, but the fact of the matter is that isn’t good enough. Nobody is going to remember the season in which Rangers nearly got close to Celtic in the title race and got to the latter stages of a couple of domestic cups. They might remember the early promise, sure, but that will only be followed by the disappointment that has engulfed 2019 so far for Rangers.

And who must take the blame for this? Well, it’s hard to look past Steven Gerrard. For all of the positive takeaways from his first season in charge, there have been more than a few negatives. These began before the campaign began, with the arrival of a number of below par talents, like Umar Sadiq and Ovie Ejaria, which really reduced the overall quality of the team at Ibrox.

Since then, Gerrard’s lack of managerial experience has been on full display. He’s made a few questionable selection decisions, including a refusal to rely on Nikola Katic for much of the season, whilst a lack of versatility has also prevented his team from being able to adapt to more challenging situations.

It’s important to put this criticism in context, of course. Most Rangers fans would agree that Gerrard is still the right man for the job, and he’s had some good moments. Almost all fans will want him to continue in the role long-term, too, and so all told, that’s a good outcome from his first season. He’ll also likely get better next season as he continues to pick up experience, and that’s important.

However, that can’t all take away from the failings that the manager has made this season. He simply must improve, as at present, it’s just not good enough. Patience is needed, but if the Gers don’t recognise how quickly this season has fallen off, they’ll be doomed to repeat the same errors next term.

Rangers fans – do you agree? Does Gerrard deserve more credit? Let us know below!

علق محمد إبراهيم مدرب عام الاتحاد السكندري، على قرار إيقافه من قبل لجنة الانضباط باتحاد الكرة، وذلك بسبب ما بدر منه في مباراة طلائع الجيش الأخيرة.

وقررت اللجنة إيقاف محمد ابراهيم مدرب نادي الاتحاد السكندري 6 مباريات وغرامة مالية قدرها 100 ألف جنيه لما بدر منه في مباراة طلائع الجيش، وفقا لتقريري حكم ومراقب المباراة.

طالع | عقوبات لجنة الانضباط ضد مدرب الاتحاد وفرجاني ساسي وأمام عاشور
 
وقال إبراهيم خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “جمهور التالتة” على قناة “أون تايم سبورت 2”: “لا أفهم هذه العقوبة كيف وصلت لهذا الحد؟، لم أعتد على الحكم ولم أقترب منه، كلنا كنا منفعلين، وأقدر كل الحكام”.

وأضاف: “في النفق المؤدي لغرفة الملابس قلت للحكم هل أنت راض عن ما حدث؟، فقط لا غير والله والله لم أتلفظ بأي شئ”.

وتابع: “أنا لم أتلفظ، من الممكن أنني كنت في حالة عصبية ومنفعل جدا، إبراهيم نور الدين طردني لأنني ركلت الكرة في الملعب”.

طالع | ركلتا جزاء وطرد.. الاتحاد السكندري يتعادل مع الجيش في مباراة مثيرة

وأكمل: “أتمنى أن يتم حل المشكلة لأن العقوبة كبيرة جدا وظالمة، أن يتم إيقافي 6 مباريات وغرامة 100 ألف جنية، وكل هذا لأنني كنت منفعلا بسبب الظلم، ركلة جزاء الثانية ليست ركلة جزاء أنا كنت على الخط ولم يحدث أي تلامس والحكم احتسبها وكان هذا سبب انفعالي”.

وأتم: “هل قلت للحكم إنت جئت لتساهم في فوز الفريق الآخر؟ حتى وإن قلت ذلك أنا لم أعتد عليه، وحتى إن قلت هذا في لحظة انفعال الأمور لا تصل لهذا الحد، وإبراهيم نور الدين كان مضغوطا منذ بداية المباراة”.

[ad_pod ]

Mauricio Pochettino has pleaded for help from English football’s governing bodies after Borussia Dortmund were given one day more to prepare for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday.

Spurs played Arsenal on Saturday and drew 1-1, while Dortmund lost to Augsburg on Friday.

What’s the word?

Spurs hold a 3-0 lead going into the second leg after dismantling their German opponents at Wembley.

Goals from Son Heung-Min, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente sealed a scintillating victory but the club’s form since has dipped considerably.

Losses to Burnley and Chelsea have derailed their title challenge, while a draw with the Gunners came about only after Hugo Lloris saved a last-minute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty.

Pochettino, then, is perhaps right to question the amount of time his side have been given to prepare, particularly with the cauldron of Signal Iduna Park awaiting.

Quoted by BBC, he said: “It’s strange that no-one has said anything about that.

“It’s impossible that one team has 24 hours more to prepare. It’s massive.

“We need help from the FA, we need help from the Premier League.

“I don’t know whose fault it is. I don’t know whether it is the FA, the Premier League, the club or the TV [who] wanted the matches to be on those days.”

Scheduling a disgrace, but unlikely to matter

An English club last won the Champions League in 2012, when Chelsea completed an unlikely triumph, and it seems that the governing bodies of English football care little about ending that drought.

Spurs have a golden chance to head into the quarter-finals for the first time under Pochettino’s management but they have been hamstrung by a bureaucratic decision that has merely served the interests of BT Sport and Sky Sports, who broadcast all three of their Premier League games across the past week.

At the end of the day, it is unlikely to matter against Dortmund, such is the stranglehold the north London outfit have established on the tie.

But it may be a deciding factor in a potentially tight quarter-final.

Pochettino has appealed directly for help; he is unlikely to get any – such is the money involved in the television rights’ deals – but he certainly should.

West Ham’s main man Marko Arnautovic has been linked with a move away from the club for months, but he now needs to knuckle down and prove he’s worth being snapped up.

The Austrian striker’s brother pleaded with the club to let him leave in a statement in January, but his ‘dream move’ to an unnamed Chinese club fell through when a £35m bid was rejected. Why he wanted to go to China is beyond us all but since that deal didn’t materialise, the talented frontman should perform like everyone knows he can to earn a move to a club which is a step up from West Ham.

Why he’d even want to leave The London Stadium in January is another question that’s hard to answer. They’re playing some great football at the moment and are looking capable of mounting a challenge for a European spot over the next year or so. However, if he really does want to leave, then he needs to get his head back into playing for the Hammers until the end of the season.

There’s no questioning his quality, it’s there, but his attitude is something that sometimes lets him down, and that’s the difference between a good player and a world-class player – mentality. This is a test of character for the 29-year-old and could mean him signing for a Chinese club to rot away into obscurity or being picked up by a club already playing European football.

The opportunity to build up his goal tally is there. He’s now playing alongside players like Samir Nasri, Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson who will be able to set him up for fun against most opposition. West Ham are creating chances against the best sides in the league too and he could be finishing those as their main man up top.

If Arnautovic would lift his head up and realise what an opportunity he has in front of him, he could be playing European football next season, whether that be with West Ham or not. Surely that would be more of a ‘dream move’ than China?

Where do you think Marko Arnautovic will be playing his football next season?

John-Joe O’Toole’s time as a Northampton Town player has experienced its fair share of twist and turns.

The enigmatic midfielder joined the club after his previous side Bristol Rovers were relegated to the National League, a move which angered fans of the Gas who accused him of jumping ship during a delicate period for the club.

His debut season for the Cobblers was relatively poor and a falling out with then-boss Chris Wilder saw him briefly leave the club on loan to Southend United before returning in December 2014. In a campaign which saw his side finish in mid-table, O’Toole featured in a number of different roles as the club sought to find a position in which he could thrive.

The 2015/16 season saw Wilder make the decision to employ him as an attacking midfielder which turned out to be a masterstroke. Alongside the likes of wingers Ricky Holmes and Nicky Adams and forwards Marc Richards and James Collins, O’Toole played an integral role for Northampton as they stormed to the League Two title, finishing thirteen points clear of challengers Oxford United.

Not only did the former Watford player find the net on 12 occasions in the league but he also provided two assists which is to date his highest amount of goal contributions for the Cobblers in a single season

O’Toole once again reached double figures for goals in the following campaign but couldn’t stop his side from being relegated last season from League One despite being impressive on an individual basis.

However,  a disturbing drop off in form by the midfielder during the 2018/19 campaign has raised questions amongst supporters on whether it should be time to bring an end to his five-year association with the club.

Indeed, O’Toole is somewhat of a cult-hero at the PTS Academy and his departure would be sure to divide fans yet when you consider the fact that he has scored just three goals this season, it is clear that he is past his best.

Also, it could be argued that the club’s midfield is more balanced with the likes of Sam Foley and Shaun McWilliams marshaling the play in-place of the 30-year-old who can lack defensive discipline at times.

Nevertheless, with Northampton just six points behind the play-offs, O’Toole could further his legacy at the club by leading his side to a fourth-ever Wembley appearance in their history.

Keith Curle’s side should edge even closer to the top seven if they are victorious on their travels on Saturday when they head to Blundell Park to face Grimsby Town.

What do you think Cobblers fans? Do you think the club should let O’Toole go in the summer? Or is he still an invaluable part of Curle’s squad? Let us know below.

What a turnaround it has been for Sheffield Wednesday in 2019! Steve Bruce has certainly brought a fresh approach to the club during his time with the Owls and has seen his side turn into a club that are within contention of reaching the playoffs, despite having had to look over their shoulders earlier in the campaign with the threat of relegation.

However, something that has not changed at Hillsborough is the Financial Fair Play situation that the Yorkshire outfit find themselves in and it appears the club may already be suffering a fallout from it.

What’s the News?

According to Kieran Maguire, who is a football finance expert, he believes that Sheffield Wednesday could already be under a soft transfer embargo – something that they had undergone last summer.

However, it would appear that things are not as bad as Birmingham City – who could face a 12 point deduction – and Wednesday could just receive a telling off and will need to show they are taking action to improve the situation.

“I suspect that Wednesday are already under an embargo,” Maguire told the BBC Sheffield Radio show Football Heaven on Wednesday. “And what they will have to do is to demonstrate to the EFL that they have taken some steps to reduce those losses.

“So if they can say, well, we’ve got three players who are on big contracts, they’re going to be out of contract at the end of 2019, we’re not going to renew those contracts and they’re on, say, £30,000-a-week each, that’s £5million saved for next season.”

However, it would appear they could also extend some of their star’s contracts in the summer, providing they remain the same and offload other players for a transfer fee.

“If they sell players who are in contract, and they sell them for a transfer fee, that can have a significant impact on results,” he continued. “So your profits from player sales you’re allowed to offset against your trading losses.

“My understanding is that the soft embargo only applies to recruiting new players. So if you want to offer an existing player and contract on existing terms then that’s perfectly acceptable.”

The Verdict:

Although the Maguire’s assumption is unlikely to have come as a surprise, it would appear that Sheffield Wednesday could be able to be in an encouraging position to solve their issues in regards to the Financial Fair Play regulations.

With the likes of Keiren Westwood set to become a free agent in the summer, it would appear that the Owls could be in a position to be able to renew his current deal and not be affected by the restrictions that could be posed upon them.

With the transfer window coming up, it would not be surprising to see Bruce make a number of changes to the squad, although the possibility of playing Premier League football next season could significantly change his plans for the following campaign.

However, if they remain in the Championship next year, that could see a number of their key players leave the club as they may have no choice but to try and raise funds from any potential sale, with the likes of Barry Bannan, Adam Reach and Fernando Forestieri all potentially receiving offers in the summer.

Sheffield Wednesday fans, what do you make of Maguire’s assumption that the club are already under a soft transfer embargo? Does it come as a surprise or was it to be expected? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.