Celtic beat Kilmarnock in fairy-tale fashion on Saturday afternoon, but Neil Lennon’s use of one January signing is driving fans crazy.
Celtic picked up yet another win on the road to their eighth consecutive title on Saturday, but this one came in truly wonderful fashion.
In a week when the club lost their greatest and most iconic player, captain Billy McNeill, Jozo Simunovic headed in the only goal on 67 minutes to give the Bhoys all three points.
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…
Simunovic of course dons the same number five that McNeill won 23 major trophies in, and 1967 was the year McNeill guided the Lisbon Lions to the European Cup.
It wasn’t all plain sailing in the match though, and the drab performances with little creativity are starting to become a serious mark against Lennon’s chances of becoming permanent manager.
His use of Oliver Burke in particular is infuriating fans, as the dynamic winger once again warmed the bench and watched on as the Hoops struggled to crack open the Killie defence.
The January loan signing has mustered four goals and three assists in 16 appearances, and the Twitter reactions down below are bemused by Lennon’s decision not to include him on Saturday…
Having not taken charge of a match over the weekend, Mike Dean will be back in the middle of the pitch when Wolverhampton Wanderers play host to Manchester United at Molineux on Tuesday night, and both sets of players have good reason to be really wary.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 50-year-old match official is the most well-known one in the Premier League, and for good reason – he is a controversial character known for making big – and often contentious – decisions in big top flight matches.
It has been no different for Dean this season, who has been involved in making his fair share of interesting calls, although that’s how he seems to like it when you watch him in action.
The latest fixture he will referee is more important to the visitors than it is to the hosts given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are chasing a top-four finish, while the west Midlands outfit will have one eye on their FA Cup semi-final clash against Watford at the weekend.
Dean loves a card
While the majority of his personal stats from the 22 Premier League matches this season don’t particularly stand out one way or another, there are definitely two that do.
Firstly as per WhoScored, he has dished out more yellow cards (97) than any of his counterparts – the next highest is Anthony Taylor on 90 who has taken control of five more games – while he has also remarkably shown the red card on nine occasions, again more than any other official and one-fifth of the total shown in the top flight in 2018/19.
Two of those actually came against Wolves this season which should act as a warning to the Red Devils, with Newcastle United’s DeAndre Yedlin and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy the two men to receive their marching orders.
Considering he showed eight yellows in United’s 1-0 win against Leicester and a further seven in their 2-2 draw against Chelsea, it is obvious that he looks to set a precedent early on in proceedings.
Wolves and Man United players beware, Dean’s got his cards and he isn’t afraid to use them.
It has been reported by the Daily Express that Arsenal are keen on signing Everton centre-back Michael Keane and are keeping a close eye on him ahead of the summer window.
What’s the word, then?
The Gunners sent some members of their scouting team to London Stadium on Saturday evening to watch the Toffees beat West Ham United 2-0 in the Premier League, per The Sun, with the £50 million-rated Keane impressing.
However, they may face some very close competition from bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur to land the signature of the 26-year-old according to the Daily Express.
Starting his career at Manchester United, the tall and physical centre-half left Old Trafford for Burnley in January 2015, moving onto Goodison Park in the summer of 2017 for £25.65 million having broken into Gareth Southgate’s England squad just a few months earlier.
Hold firm Everton, we don’t want to see another John Stones
The last thing Everton need at this stage is another transfer fiasco after failing to impress in windows in recent years – and this is another one waiting to happen.
Everton’s decision to allow John Stones go to Manchester City before the start of the 2016/2017 season was a disastrous move, one that has seen concede 100 goals in the 70 games league games following his departure.
Whilst Stones has been impressing at the Etihad Stadium, the Toffees have failed to replace him properly and have struggled for defensive solidity.
It was a decision which was out of their hands to a degree but one that has set them back hugely in their bid to break into the top six.
They simply can’t let lightning strike twice by cashing in on Keane in what would be yet another pricey outgoing transfer of a key central defender.
At present, Marco Silva’s men are still firmly in the hunt to clinch seventh place and achieving that would show huge progress at Goodison, although they really wouldn’t be in this position without the United academy product.
There is finally the sense in the blue half of Liverpool that something concrete is being built, especially when you factor in the stadium move, but selling Keane and making the same mistake twice could really whip the rug from underneath the club’s feet and display nothing other than regression.
Liverpool’s title hunt looks like going right down to the wire as both the Reds and rivals Manchester City won in midweek.
With Spurs falling away, it is now more than likely nothing more than a two horse race in the hunt for the Premier League’s biggest prize.
Both Liverpool and City have been outstanding with their form in the main, and both will be worthy winners come May when a new champion is crowned.
For Liverpool though, a title will meanmore than many other trophies they can compete for, and they’ll be hoping to continue their success for years to come if they do indeed wrap up that first Premier League title.
However, to ensure they do remain at the top of their game, we here in the Tavern feel it’s imperative they keep adding to the squad, and one man we feel would be a superb addition is AC Milan defender Alession Romagnoli.
The Italian centre half has become one of the most consistent defensive performers in Europe, and at just 24, arguably has his best years ahead of him.
Valued at some £50m by Transfermarkt, the classy central defender would be the perfect partner for the ever impressive Virgil Van Dijk as the Reds look to secure a successful future built from the back.
Romagnoli is a class act too. A player who is excellent on the ball as well as being dominant in the air and the tackle when needed, he really could be what a team like Liverpool could do with.
While Van Dijk is world class centre back in his own right, adding someone like Romagnoli can only further strengthen Liverpool’s future trophy hopes.
According to France Football, Everton were rejected by Lyon midfielder Lucas Tousart in the January transfer window, who also rejected a proposal from Zenit St Petersburg, which helped keep Idrissa Gueye at the club.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Toffees were extremely keen to add the 21-year-old midfielder to their ranks, as he is a player who has impressed massively for the Ligue 1 side.
French giants Paris Saint-Germain had Gueye in their sights throughout the January transfer window, and saw a £25m bid swiftly rejected as Everton were adamant that the Senegalese international would not be sold.
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Gueye did in fact hand in a transfer request to try and force the move to the French capital, and it is believed that if Tousart had agreed to sign for the Merseyside-based club, the former Aston Villa star would’ve been allowed to link up with the Parisians.
A blessing in disguise
Before the whole PSG transfer saga, Gueye was visibly not performing to the standards that fans of Everton and the Premier League have come to expect from the 29-year-old.
However, since he was forced to stay at Goodison Park, he has knuckled down and rediscovered the form that attracted one of Europe’s biggest clubs in the first place, and appears to have a newfound motivation.
His heroic performance in the 3-0 away win over Cardiff, along with his tidy showing in the Merseyside derby, helped Everton keep two successive clean sheets.
It is almost as if the Senegalese midfielder knows that the Parisians can sign almost any player that they want to in world football given their ridiculous resources, so must maintain the high quality of his performances in order to keep them interested.
Whilst that may be bad news for the Toffees come the summer, Gueye’s tireless efforts are certainly a positive for them right now.
In one of the more interesting Premier League clashes this weekend, Everton will be hosting Wolves at Goodison Park. The visitors sit in 7th, just one spot above their hosts by a margin of only two points. In this battle, we’ll be looking at two key men from each side in Andre Gomes and Ruben Neves to see how they might influence the crunch match.
The reverse fixture was one that took place early in the Premier League season when Everton travelled to Molineux. Ruben Neves was key that day as he scored a sublime free-kick to level the scores at 1-1 before the game eventually finished 2-2. However, a lot has changed since then and it will be interesting to see how Gomes and Neves compare in a game that could ultimately decide who finishes 7th.
RUBEN NEVES
You can ask any Wolves fan who their most influential player is and the chances are they’ll all come back with the same answer. Ruben Neves has become an icon at Molineux and at the age of just 21, it looks like he has a massive future ahead of him for both the West Midland’s club and with his national side, who will be competing with Andre Gomes for a spot in over the next few years.
Neves’ ability to score and create goals with his incredible technique and vision make him a player who is sure to be hotly coveted by a number of Europe’s top clubs if he keeps going the way he is. From central midfield, the ex-Porto man has scored nine goals and registered three assists in his 66 games for Wolves so far, and it’s fair to say that he never scores a dull goal, with his nine strikes already enough to make a pretty ludicrous high-light reel.
TT GRADE: A
ANDRE GOMES
Soccer Football – Premier League – Everton v AFC Bournemouth – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – January 13, 2019 Everton’s Andre Gomes clashes with Bournemouth’s Joshua King REUTERS/Andrew Yates EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for fur
Everton fans were all delighted, and rightfully so, when their club managed to pull off the loan signing of Andre Gomes from Barcelona on deadline day of the summer window. The Portuguese midfielder has all the talent and ability to succeed in the Premier League, even if he was poor and struggled for minutes whilst at the Nou Camp in his time with the Catalan giants.
At international level, Gomes has been a key staple of the Portugal side of the recent era. The midfielder has won 29 caps and is the current European Champion having been apart of the successful Portuguese squad from the 2016 competition. However, over the last few weeks, the 25-year-old has struggled as Everton’s form has been indifferent with losses to Millwall, Southampton, Leicester and Brighton marring their record.
TT GRADE: C+
TT VERDICT:
Whilst Gomes has got the experience of playing at a top club in Barcelona, his influence on this Everton side hasn’t been quite what the fans thought it would be. The 25-year-old has certainly been impressive, but he’s not a scratch on the sublime Ruben Nevez, who is destined to become one of the world’s very best. For those reasons, Neves simply has to win this battle.
Out of nowhere, Jeremy Ngakia has burst onto the scene at West Ham this season.
Before this campaign, the 19-year-old had never made a senior appearance. However, he was included in the starting line-up for the first time against Liverpool. Coincidentally, his next appearance was against the same opponents, and he was then named on the teamsheet by David Moyes for the clashes against Southampton and Arsenal.
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According to ExWHUemployee, the Hammers have already offered him a new contract – in a short space of time, his importance to Moyes and co has risen dramatically.
Here, we take a look at three rave reviews from his performances so far this season…
Carlton Cole, former West Ham striker
Carlton Cole was something of a journeyman, playing for no less than eight clubs, but it was at West Ham where he spent the longest amount of time – he scored 67 times in 293 games.
Now a pundit, he had plenty of praise for Ngakia following his performance against the Reds, which the Irons lost 3-2.
He said, via Sky Sports:
“I thought his concentration and focus on Monday night was immense. To hold his own against someone like Sadio Mane, one of the best in the world at the moment, and other players like Andy Robertson, was a measure of his quality. Jeremy is a natural defender. I think he started as a winger, but he has that natural instinct to defend – his reading of the game and sense of positioning is very, very good.”
It was a very good display from the teenager. Mane may have scored, but Ngakia was not overawed, making five tackles and winning 10 of his 18 duels.
That is easier said than done against a player who finished fourth in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings.
Pablo Zabaleta, West Ham right-back
Zabaleta has had a fantastic career at right-back. He made 333 appearances for Manchester City, for example, winning two Premier League titles, whilst he also has 58 caps for Argentina.
An expert in Ngakia’s position, he clearly thinks he has a bright future ahead of him. He told the youngster directly on West Ham’s YouTube channel:
“You’ve been superb. How old are you, 19? Keep working hard, listening, be a good professional and good luck in your career. You can go for 15 more years.”
If anybody knows how to make a career in that role, then it is Zabaleta. He started out as a 17-year-old with San Lorenzo, and is still playing amongst the elite now.
Ngakia should take such praise and advice on board.
John Moncur, former West Ham player
Moncur was part of the furniture for the Hammers during the 1990s – he spent nine years at Upton Park between 1994 and 2003.
Speaking to the West Ham Fan Show on Love Sport Radio, he said of Ngakia:
“When you look back because you say I was there when they all come through. And it’s a little bit like Glen Johnson; Glen Johnson come in. I mean, we sold him after 12 games. But in them 12 games he proved that he had a Premiership career. You know from the third or fourth game that he come in, he’s going to be a star, you know, an asset to the club and I can see this with this boy. I’m really impressed with him.”
Glen Johnson, of course, started his career at the Irons, but he made just 16 appearances before moving on to Chelsea.
West Ham will be hoping history does not repeat itself.
The following article is a special report; all information presented has been gleaned from Football FanCast sources unless stated otherwise.
Juventus are hopeful of signing Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur but may wait until the summer to take him to Italy, sources have told Football FanCast.
The Denmark international is out of contract at the end of the season and has thus far shown no indication that he would like to extend his stay at the club.
The Italian giants are said to be “sniffing” around the midfielder prior to a potential swoop, and their chances of signing him could be supported by the fact that Spurs would like to snap up Juve’s Turkish centre-back Merih Demiral.
The 21-year-old was signed from Sassuolo in the summer but has made just four appearances for Juve this season, even providing an assist in the 3-1 Serie A win over Udinese.
Those familiar with Spurs’ recruitment have made it clear that manager Jose Mourinho would like to sign a defender in one of the next two transfer windows and Demiral is a target. Scouts have watched him play for both Juve and Sassuolo.
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Thus, there is a possibility that Demiral could play some role in determining Eriksen’s future.
Of course, Spurs do not have a great deal of agency over his future – he can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club next month – but there is the prospect of negotiations opening the door to talks over the Turkey international, who has won 11 caps for his country.
Sources within the club believe that Eriksen will leave in the summer because he wishes to receive a signing-on fee when he moves to a new club.
Spurs could feasibly open the lines of communication to Juve now, then, with a view to both finding out their plans for Eriksen – allowing them to prepare for his exit – and also making an enquiry as to their target’s availability. Sources have suggested talks may take place in January.
An exit for Eriksen in the next transfer window would be preferable for Spurs, allowing the club to receive a fee, but there has been no indication that the Dane would countenance such a possibility.
Manchester United had been linked with a possible January move but sources claim there is “nothing” coming from the Red Devils ahead of the winter window.
Nonetheless, there is the potential for a tacit quid pro quo between Spurs and the Italian champions; they do nothing to disrupt and possibly even help facilitate Juve’s discussions with Eriksen, in return for smoother negotiations over Demiral.
Juventus, of course, have signed a number of high-profile players on free transfers in recent seasons, including Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal and Emre Can from Liverpool.
Juve paid just €18m (£15.2m) for Demiral’s signature and one assumes that they would want to turn a profit.
Eriksen has previously told the club that he wishes to play abroad in order to broaden his horizons and it was anticipated that interest would come from Spain, namely Real Madrid and Barcelona, in the summer.
Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?
However, there were no bids forthcoming and a move to Italy now seems a realistic proposition for the want-away playmaker.
It could be a perfect situation for Spurs, who could use the Italian club’s interest to swoop for their little-used defender, Demiral.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have been reacting to a link with a swoop for a Championship star.
After some of his recent performances, Liverpool fans have been calling for Xherdan Shaqiri to become a regular starter in Jurgen Klopp’s lineups, as they feel that he is the most creative midfielder at their disposal.
The Swiss international has started just four Premier League games since his £12m move from Stoke in the summer, impressing hugely in those games with two goals and two assists.
Some of the Anfield faithful feel he is capable of replacing Philippe Coutinho’s inventiveness in the middle of the park, something that the Reds have sorely missed since the Brazilian departed to Barcelona.
With the likes of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Fabinho, James Milner and Adam Lallana vying to start in Klopp’s midfield, including the former Bayern star, chances have been few and far between for the 27-year-old.
In light of this selection dilemma, we put the question to Liverpool fans, asking if they would like to see the diminutive midfielder become one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Interestingly, a whopping 82% voted in favour of the £12m man becoming just that, stating that they feel that the Merseyside-based club need his creativity out on that pitch at all times, as you can see by the results below…
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[ad_pod ]Mesut Ozil’s current situation at Arsenal ought to be a real concern for all those involved with the club. How Unai Emery handles the treatment of the German playmaker will be one of the main early tests of his reign at the Emirates Stadium.Ozil returned to the North London club at the start of this season off of the back of a torrid summer. The 29-year-old was part of the German national team squad that crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages.It was a disaster for the national side, and despite creating a number of chances that his teammates repeatedly spurned, Ozil himself was singled out for criticism by much of the media.ÂNot long after the curtain had fallen upon the tournament in Russia, Ozil took to Instagram to announce his retirement from international football. His message cited racial discrimination he had suffered at the hands of the German Football Association, and in particular from its president, Reinhard Grindel.The backlash to this announcement has ranged from heartfelt support to further criticism of the Arsenal man from those who refute his claims.ÂEven in these early stages of the new campaign, it is clear that Ozil is still out of sorts. Against Chelsea, the German put in an utterly anonymous performance before being hauled off with more than 20 minutes still to play. In over an hour of football at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners’ No. 10 managed a mere 29 touches and didn’t play a single key pass.For the following fixture, at home against West Ham United, Ozil was ruled out with illness. However, ESPN journalist Joao Castelo-Branco reported that the German’s exclusion was in fact due to a bust up with Emery when he heard he was to be amongst the substitutes and subsequently refused to attend the game at all.
Emery has categorically denied these rumours, but it certainly seems as though things aren’t all quite right with Ozil at this time.
Since taking up the hot seat in North London, the Spanish coach has had to field plenty of questions about the wellbeing of the creative midfielder. In the aftermath of Ozil’s retirement from international football, Emery said that he wanted Ozil to feel at “home here with us – like a family†and that the club were “going to help him feel goodâ€, as reported by the BBC.
Although Emery’s English is still very much a work in progress, he will have known that those were particularly emotive words to use when talking about his player’s condition. Emery’s words suggested that Ozil was, understandably, struggling in some way. He likely still is, which may well be affecting his form on the pitch.
If Ozil has returned from illness in time to face Cardiff City this weekend then it will be fascinating to see if he is included from the off. If he is, it would be a big indication that Emery is prepared to invest his faith in the German, and that kind of vote of confidence could be exactly what Ozil needs following the intense criticism he has faced in recent months.
However, beyond issues of form, confidence and fitness, the question remains as to whether or not Ozil actually even suits the style of play Emery is currently attempting to implement at the Emirates.Â
The manager has made no secret of his desire to build an Arsenal team that presses hard and high up the pitch, and works together as a cohesive defensive unit. In Emery’s teams, everyone is expected to fully understand and commit to their defensive duties.
Ozil’s attributes, for all of his undeniable technical excellence, may not be conducive to this style of football. The former Real Madrid man must prove that he can function effectively within Emery’s tactical set up. The boss is extremely unlikely to be willing to compromise upon his principles in order to accommodate the midfielder.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v Arsenal – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – August 18, 2018 Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil with manager Unai Emery after being substituted off Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account rep
Should it prove that Ozil doesn’t fit into Emery’s system, the consequences for the club could be disastrous. The ink is barely dry on Ozil’s current contract with the club, which is worth £350,000-a-week, according to The Telegraph. The deal runs until 2021. The idea of the German being surplus to requirements at this stage is not one the club will wish to countenance.
Arsenal’s options for offloading Ozil appear thin on the ground. Of all the clubs in world football who could afford his transfer fee and wage package, almost every single one already has a star player in his position. What’s more, Ozil is currently out of form and not exactly living up to his wages, so it would make no sense for another club to take such a risk on a player approaching 30.
This state of affairs leaves Arsenal, and Emery, with no real choice other than to make Ozil work well within this team. This process of integration may require faith and patience, but if Ozil can come good for Arsenal then he remains a player capable of leading them to silverware.Â
Whilst he shouldn’t be pandered to, the team set up can be designed so as to get the best out of Ozil. Playing him in his preferred central position and surrounding him with mobile players he can combine with is a must.Â
Without doubt, Emery faces a challenge to get the best out of Ozil this season, and failure is simply not an option.Â
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