All posts by h79snht.top

Everton fans have been left feeling concerned for their season after Yannick Bolasie was dealt with a big injury blow.

The Merseyside outfit have confirmed via their official website that the winger will undergo surgery after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament against Manchester United on Sunday.

During the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, Bolasie fell awkwardly following a challenge from Anthony Martial in the second half.

The club have not stated a timeline for the summer signing’s recovery, but the Daily Mail report that the 27-year-old will miss the rest of the season.

If that is the case, then it will be a huge blow to manager Ronald Koeman as the Dutchman has played Bolasie in all 15 games this season.

The news is likely to fuel rumours that the Toffees will search for cover in the January transfer window, with United’s Memphis Depay being heavily linked to the club.

Fans have taken to Twitter to express their sorrow and sympathy towards Bolasie, and many have called for Gerard Deulofeu to step up to the plate during his teammate’s absence.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

A historic moment in football: a referee turns to a video replay to aid his decision for the first time. Kashima Antlers are correctly awarded a penalty against Atletico Nacional following a review using a video replay.

The technology is inevitably here to stay; it will eventually arrive in the Premier League following its trial at the Club World Cup.

As early as next season, referees in the FA Cup will be able to utilise the technology for goals, red cards, penalties and cases of mistaken identity. It would be no great surprise to see it in the Champions League and Premier League soon after.

Video technology – something that most people deem to have been implemented too late as it is – should be something that we fully embrace and accept.

However, after Real Madrid’s game in the Club World Cup – a 2-0 victory over Club America – midfielder Luka Modric claimed it created a lot of confusion. Zinedine Zidane was critical along similar lines.

Granted, the time taken to come to a decision is too long with the current system. Victor Kassai, the experienced Hungarian, paused the game for over a minute before making a call.

Ultimately, it could be argued that any amount of time should be accepted as long as the correct decision is made in the end, but football is so exciting because of the speed and flow of the game. Particularly at the top level, fast-paced counter-attacks and quick, fluid exchanges between teams make games enthralling to watch – stopping for more than a minute is disruptive and counter-productive.

Rather than simply accept the stoppages, or carry on ignoring the technological solution completely, a change to the system will eventually be made. Writing it off after one or two calls have been made would be a mistake.

Over time – and before we see it in the Premier League and other top leagues in the world – video refereeing will become more efficient. The process will become smoother and instead of a minute’s delay, it might only be ten seconds. It has, after all, only been around a matter of a couple of games, so it cannot be written off.

Kassai appeared to have to run the width of the pitch to see a screen before making the call – in future you would imagine a separate referee being able to overrule the one on the pitch if he was certain that the referee had missed something. That way, decisions would almost be made in real time.

It is better to take a little amount of time and get the right call in the end and although perhaps it is not quite ideal as the system stands at the moment, it will come with time. No one was sure how useful and effective goal-line technology would be, but now it is the norm. In the not too distant future, video technology will be the same.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article by clicking here, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’centre’]

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Here we are, 2016 is over and 2017 is singing on the rocks like a tantalising siren of footballing temptation. The last 365 days have been filled with thrills and spills involving the spherical object we all spend our weekends and midweeks, and the hours in between, obsessing over, so we thought we’d get in on the tradition of looking back at some of the big events to dish out our alternative awards of 2016…

Enjoy!

Last laugh of the year (Sponsored by Yorkshire Tea)

Winner: Garry Monk

He was thrust into the role of being Swansea manager in fraught circumstances, adhered to the ‘Swansea Way’ and even played for them for ten years. However, the Welsh club’s new American owners decided mild-mannered Damian Lewis lookalike, Garry Monk was not the man to take the Swans to the next level. Fast-forward several months and Monk has Leeds United playing some of their best football in over a decade and sitting 5th in the Championship table. There’s every chance he will leapfrog his former employers come May.

Fraud of the Year (Sponsored by Rentokil Moth Spray)

Winner: Portugal

There are many who would relish seeing Pep Guardiola scoop this award for conveniently achieving success at already well-established teams. However, unlike Lionel Messi, he did at least let his critics know whether or not he could turn it on at the Britannia (or bet365 Stadium, as it’s annoyingly now known) on a brisk and soggy afternoon. This award firmly goes to the Portugal national team, though. England were bad at EURO 2016 but were Portugal honestly that much better? They laboured their way out of a group containing Iceland, Austria and Hungary without winning a game and didn’t emerge victorious in 90 minutes until the semi-final against Wales. Cristiano Ronaldo dragged his compatriots to the final in which he limped off amid a sea of tears and giant moths and it was left to a man deemed surplus to requirements at Swansea to snatch victory and the trophy, again, in extra time. Poor team, poor performances, brilliant captain.

The golden P45 award

Winner: Bob Bradley

Bob Bradley at Swansea was never going to last, was it? Watching him at his first press conference, the move smacked of being ‘one of those.’ ‘One of those’ being a term I like to use to describe the likes of Pepe Mel (West Brom), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Cardiff City) and Brian Laws (Burnley). There were other contenders for this award, namely Nigel Pearson at Derby for being terrible and Nigel Pearson at Leicester for being brilliant. However, the fact that someone in the Swansea boardroom clearly saw the January transfer window looming in their diary and pulled the trigger at the thought of the chrome-domed American getting his paws on any sort of transfer kitty speaks volumes.

Manager of the year (Sponsored by Harry Redknapp)

Winner: Sam Allardyce

You may be wondering why ‘Big Sam’ wasn’t in the running for The Golden P45? That’s because he is our recipient of manager of the year instead. In fact, we’d give him manager of the millennium if we could. He vacated the England post with a 100% win rate and is therefore the most successful Three Lions boss of all time. Fact.

Pundit of the year (Sponsored by Tennent’s Super)

Winner: Robbie Savage

Last year Michael Owen was the gift that kept on giving in terms of nonsensical sound bites but BT appear to have caved into the wave of criticism surrounding his ‘cutting edge’ analysis. “He looks like a footballer that Memphis Depay” he would suggest, “Usually the team who scores the most goals wins” he would muse. But with the microphone falling silent for Michael of late, the award must go to Robbie Savage. Anyone tucking into their Weetabix the morning after Wales’ historic defeat of Belgium will have witnessed Robert at his patriotic best. Love him or loathe him, watching him slur his way through an interview on half an hour of sleep was a joy to behold, during which he provided us with the greatest piece of commentary this year. On Hal Robson-Kanu turning three Belgium defenders: “One went for a cup of tea, one went for a coffee and one went for a pie.”

Team of the year (Sponsored by Duracell)

Winner: East Kilbride

The media are running out of hyperbole to describe Chelsea’s recent winning run but perhaps they should have saved it for when they achieve something truly remarkable like, say, East Kilbride. You may not have heard of them, but Ajax certainly have. It was their world record of 26 straight victories record – standing since 1972 – that was well and truly smashed by the Lowland League side from Lanarkshire, Scotland. The feat seems doubly impressive when you consider that a team boasting a club crest that looks like it was composed on Microsoft Paint achieved it.

Football hipster of the year (Sponsored by Brewdog Craft Beer)

Winner: Papu Gomez

Many contenders for this one: Jurgen Klopp for signing the poster boy of everyone’s Premier League 1998 Merlin Sticker swap pile; Alex Manninger, at the age of 39. Will Grigg, for inspiring the greatest fan chant since that Yaya/Kolo Toure one and forcing his way onto the ‘Team of EURO 2016’ shortlist despite playing zero minutes of football and Claudio Ranieri for winning the Premier League with a 4-4-2 formation. Despite these commendable efforts, the award must go to Atalanta’s Papu Gomez who is known in Italy for sporting an eclectic range of captain’s armbands. He outdid himself earlier this month by donning one emblazoned with a picture of a PlayStation One alongside the original (and entirely fictional) Master League line-up from the Pro Evolution Soccer games of the early noughties. Stunning.

Stat of the year (Sponsored by The NHS)

Winner: Jack Wilshere

Jack Wilshere is currently in the process of rebuilding his career on the South Coast after several seasons laden with injury. When one of our award winners, Garry Monk, was appointed manager of Leeds back in June, he was the club’s SIXTH coach since young Jack last completed 90 minutes of football. A damning reflection on the reckless running of Leeds or Jack Wilshere’s injury woes? Sadly, both.

Midlife crisis of the year (Sponsored by Babyliss)

Winner: Michael Oliver

At 31-years old, Premier League referee Michael Oliver is far too old to be sporting tramlines in his hair. What he was trying to tell us with his garnish barnet remains a mystery. Was he auditioning for N-Dubz? Is he an admirer of year-7 pupil fashion trends? We think it must be a mid-life crisis. Don’t be too quick to judge, though, I’m currently sat here donning a Kappa tracksuit, a Von Dutch baseball cap and a pair of Air Jordans.

[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Everton have rejected a loan offer from AC Milan for Gerard Deulofeu but the Spaniard’s future remains uncertain as three clubs eye his services, The Guardian reports.

What’s the word?

AC Milan have seen a loan offer for Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu rejected by the Toffees, with Ronald Koeman keen to keep the Spanish U21 international amongst his squad for the second-half of the season.

Deulofeu last started a match for the Toffees in early December, a 3-2 defeat to Watford, and failed to make the squad for Everton’s 4-0 victory over Manchester City last weekend despite impressing with his FA Cup cameo against Leicester City.

With injuries to Yannick Bolasie and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton’s options are depleted and that throws a spanner in the works of a potential exit for Deulofeu as Everton see him as a valued member of their first-team.

The 22-year-old wants more regular football and has fallen down the pecking order since Ronald Koeman took charge, though is has a few potential suitors for his services.

Who’s in the hunt?

As well as AC Milan, who could return with another approach for the Spaniard, Deulofeu has also attracted the attention of Eredivisie giants Ajax and Everton’s fellow Premier League outfit Middlesbrough, The Guardian reports.

Whether Ajax and Middlesbrough’s interest is in a permanent deal or a loan deal remains to be seen but Everton would probably only approve the latter at this time, potentially with an option to purchase him outright at the end of the season.

Given the standard of the Eredivisie being far less than the football played in the Premier League or Serie A, Middlesbrough or AC Milan would be a better fit for the Spaniard but there’s still a way to go before a deal can be concluded.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’left’]

Tottenham Hotspur entered 2017 with huge ambitions and will have eyed a charge for the Premier League title, which was always unlikely given Chelsea’s form, with the minimum aim being to consolidate a place in the top-four.During January, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have gone above and beyond in their quest to reach their ambitions and, although they sit nine points behind league leaders Chelsea, the Lilywhites have excelled and stand as the only unbeaten side during the month of January.

Winning three games and drawing the other two, conceding just three goals in the process, Tottenham Hotspur have proved once again they’re capable of going toe-to-toe with the big boys- and the victory over Chelsea last month has really shown their worth.

Sitting above arch-rivals Arsenal on goal difference, the aim will now be to achieve something that hasn’t been done for the past two decade and finish above their North London rivals- with the derby at the end of April set to be crucial.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’left’]

The departure of Mark Warburton from Rangers may have been dramatic and may have transpired in a manner many fans found unenjoyable but it does present them with hope for the future.

The Ibrox side are in a position now to make much-needed changes and push on in their attempts to be competitive with ancient rivals Celtic at the pinnacle of Scottish football. It’s been a tough journey through the divisions to make it back to where they are but now they must put it all behind them and take vital positive steps forward.

The gap they need to close to challenge Celtic is nothing short of massive given the strides Brendan Rodgers has taken this season with Rangers’ city rivals, who are a staggering 27 points clear. How do they find a way to compete?

Here are FIVE tips for the club that we reckon will help massively with that task…

No ‘big name’ signings

Much hyped so-called ‘big name’ signings rarely work out and that was never more obvious than this season when the club splashed out to sign Joey Barton last summer. Likely on a bigger wage than most players at Ibrox, the former Newcastle and Manchester City midfielder arrived with much fanfare and much expectation.

The truth is he was pretty garbage in a Rangers shirt and left understanding that Scottish football isn’t quite as bad as is made out south of the border.

It was a lesson learned for the Ibrox side who have also seen the signing of Niko Krancjar not work out; they signed the veteran midfielder despite warning signs about his injury record and he was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season after playing just 9 league matches.

What’s needed at Ibrox is a more sensible and reasoned recruitment policy. Players with big reputations are all well and good but there’s plenty of talent around that can do a consistent job. It’s all about building a cohesive team, not a squad of individuals – that’s the only way they’re going to be able to compete next season.

Less loan signings

There have been a massive eleven loan signings over the last three seasons at Rangers and it’s been a policy with ups and downs. Gedion Zelalem proved to be a great performer last season but even when loan signings turn out well, the idea has its drawbacks.

There’s no long-term planning when two or three of your top performers in any given season head back to their parent clubs the next year.

Loan signings should be used as cover or to rotate the side, not be a staple of your first team. Patrick Roberts has enjoyed his time at Celtic but he’s never been a player that gets a consistent start in the team, making almost as many substitute appearances as starts – he’s used to compliment the squad that’s there.

Rangers need to focus on bringing in players that can develop at the club over the next three or four years and become proper ‘Gers players in their own right.

Take time to make the right appointment

There’s no rush to make a hasty appointment at Ibrox in the wake of Warburton’s departure. The club will likely be competitive in the race for second regardless of whether their next appointment is made with a view for the next few years or the next six months.

The next permanent appointment at the club is the most important for years. We’ve seen over the city what impact bringing in a genuine leader can do to a club’s fortunes and the ‘Gers need a similarly inspiring figure to come in and take the club forward.

If that means waiting until the summer and appointing an interim or caretaker manager then so be it. More than any player signing, it’ll be the difference between being competitive and standing still.

Keep Barrie McKay

Signings are needed at Rangers, make no mistake about it, but the number one priority over the next few transfer windows will be keeping hold of Barrie McKay. The Scotland international has been a ray of light for ‘Gers fans in a season of mediocrity and is beginning to attract attention beyond Scottish football’s borders.

He offers a cutting edge in the final third that Rangers lack elsewhere and if he continues to develop on the current trajectory and with the right guidance, then he could become a very decent player for the club in years to come.

With quality at a premium in Scottish football, retaining talent is as important as attracting it.

Patience

Perhaps the number one thing Rangers fans need to be aware of is that there’s no quick fix. It’s unlikely that there’s going to be an immediate title challenge next season when a new manager comes in. It’s possible, but still unlikely.

It’s all about small steps, forward progress bit by bit, realistic aims and ambitions. It was always a tough ask to come up from the Championship and challenge for major honours right away and that pressure to succeed played a role in Warburton’s downfall.

He definitely wasn’t taking the club in the right direction, there’s no excuse for some of the results this season and inconsistent away form but some realism is needed too.

If the club can take positive steps and effect gradual change there’s little doubt the Ibrox side will be winning big trophies again one day. It doesn’t happen overnight and breathing room must be given to the new manager to allow him to achieve his goals.

It’s been another disappointing campaign for Sunderland, who sit rock-bottom of the Premier League with 12 games to go and face a real threat of being relegated to the Championship come May.

Things don’t get any easier for David Moyes’ Black Cats this weekend as they host Pep Guardiola’s top-four chasing Manchester City to the Stadium of Light, in a game where the visiting side will be expected to come away with all three points.

Amongst the people predicting more misery for Sunderland is former Arsenal defender Paul Merson, who told Sky Sports he can’t see anything other than a victory for the visitors.

“I’ve watched Man City a few times in recent weeks and they are playing exceptionally well. They are starting to play with style and swagger of a Pep Guardiola team. He’s finally got them playing exactly how he wants them to play and that’s ominous for Sunderland, and the rest of the Premier League.”

“They do take chances which will give Sunderland opportunities to score but David Moyes’s side will have to be on top form, with City having a dip, for them to have any chance of victory. I’m backing a comfortable City win but they do always give you a chance which will allow Jermain Defoe to grab a goal.”

Such a defeat could leave Sunderland in the daunting position of being six points away from safety in this late stage of the season, which could become the final nail in the coffin.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Liverpool will send scouts to watch Juventus youngster Francesco Cassata and remained interested in his services after having a January approach knocked back, Italian outlet Ilbianconero report.

What’s the word?

It’s been clear by Liverpool’s struggles in 2017 that Jurgen Klopp still has a lot of work to do if he is to push the Reds towards the summit of English football, with the squad at Anfield looking particularly limited when compared to their rivals.

Klopp will look to improve his options in the summer and one target is Juventus youngster Francesco Cassata, with Ilbianconero stating the Reds will send scouts to watch the midfielder in action tonight for Ascoli- where he’s spending the season on-loan.

The 19-year-old is regarded as a star for the future and Juventus have already shown they do not intend to sell, with The Daily Star stating Liverpool saw a £8.5m bid rejected for the teenage talent during the January transfer window.

Would he be an improvement?

The problem for Liverpool is that another young talent isn’t particularly what Jurgen Klopp’s side need this season, as they have plenty of potential but not enough ability to cause problems immediately- with their squad lacking experience and top-class players.

Cassata would hardly be a statement of intent and, having seen £8.5m rejected already, they’d have to pay a high price for the midfielder’s services- and there is the argument that that money could be better off used elsewhere.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Upon hearing the news that Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has left the club, Manchester United fans began worrying that an upset could be on the cards this weekend.

Jose Mourinho’s side will travel to the Riverside Stadium to take on Boro in the Premier League this Sunday.

As expected, United are favourites to collect all three points given that they are unbeaten in 17 league games, while Middlesbrough reside second from bottom in the table, three points from safety.

Despite the gulf between them in the division, United fans are now biting their nails over a possible revival from the Boro players.

We have already seen this season how managerial changes can spark an upturn in form.

Leicester City shocked Liverpool to claim a 3-1 victory just a few days after Claudio Ranieri was sacked.

Middlesbrough have lost their last three league games on the bounce, so this weekend’s clash is huge for their chances of survival.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=‘center’]

According to reports in The Express and Star, there is a deal in place for Wolves to complete the £1.5m signing of Derby County forward Andreas Weimann this summer, but no decision has been made on whether the move will go through yet.

What’s the story, then?

Well, after struggling to break into the first team under Steve McClaren at Pride Park, Weimann joined Wolves on loan until the end of the season with a view to making a permanent £1.5m move this summer.

A deal wasn’t looking too likely as the Austrian struggled to get going at Molineux for a team that was struggling at the wrong end of the Championship table, but the 25-year-old has hit form in recent weeks.

He has scored two goals and helped the side to three successive victories, which has moved them away from the relegation zone.

When will Wolves make a decision?

The report suggests that the club won’t make a decision on whether they will sign the attacker on a permanent basis until the end of the season.

Wolves boss Paul Lambert knows Weimann well having worked with him at Aston Villa though, so it is likely that he has already made his mind up on what he plans to do.

What happens if Gary Rowett wants him back?

Again, the story suggests that the Rams struck a deal with their Championship rivals during the January transfer window that cannot be reversed, which means that the only way Rowett will be keeping the 25-year-old is if Wolves decide they don’t want him.

Is Rowett likely to want him back?

It’s hard to say.

The 43-year-old already has similar players in Matej Vydra and David Nugent at his disposal, and he will potentially be looking to sign a tall striker rather than another player who is more in the mould of a forward.

Additionally, Weimann scored just four goals in 45 appearances in all competitions following a move from Villa in 2015 – far from the goalscoring form that Rowett will want ahead of a promotion push next term.