While Sam Allardyce’s arrival initially provided the bounce Everton needed to get their relegation-threatened campaign back on track, the Toffees’ recent performances under the former England gaffer have been far less convincing.
Everton have failed to win their last seven games across all competitions, losing four and scoring just three goals.
Indeed, the Allardyce revolution at Goodison has hit a sizeable stumbling block and coincidentally, the manager Everton seemingly wanted ahead of Big Sam – Marco Silva – has now become available after being sacked by Watford, who actually blame the Portuguese’s dismissal on the Toffees’ interest in his services earlier in the campaign.
So, Everton fans, how should your club respond to this situation? Have they simply put too much faith in Allardyce already, having spent around £47million on new signings this month, or should they switch horses with a shock swoop for the 40-year-old? Let us know by voting below…
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Liverpool weren’t at their best against Tottenham on Sunday evening, and they should still have come away with the victory given they scored in injury time to put themselves ahead.
It wasn’t to be, however, with a controversial penalty taking victory from their grasp. Any cold and calculated assessment of the game would have to conclude that Jurgen Klopp’s side were perhaps deserving of little more than a point on the balance of play, however.
As the home team, Liverpool struggled to see much of the ball against a Spurs side who dominated possession. That partly has to do with the styles of play imposed by both teams, but it also has a little to do with the fact that the Reds scored early through Mohamed Salah and were happy to play on the break after that.
Still, a midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and James Milner was unable to really stamp its authority on the game.
A quick glance at James Milner’s stats proves it.
His 41 touches of the ball is just one more than Dejan Lovren, who managed 40 from centre back in a game where Liverpool’s defenders were hardly involved in recycling play against a deep-seated opposition. No, Liverpool’s midfield were simply overrun.
What Milner did do, however, was tidy. He completed 83% of his passes – the highest of any Liverpool player and much higher than his side’s overall average of just 68% – and he even played one key pass before being taken off. As a central midfielder in a top six Premier League clash which finished 2-2, though, you might have expected Milner to be more involved.
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Jurgen Klopp will say his side were robbed by poor officiating, others will argue that Liverpool should have won given they retook the lead so late in the game. In the end, though, their midfield simply couldn’t live with Tottenham’s. And that’s the most worrying part ahead of the return of the Champions League this month.
Jurgen Klopp is the man of the moment on Merseyside at the moment. Liverpool currently sit third in the Premier League and everything seems to be going right – even previously under fire forward Sadio Mane is in fine form having netted a hat trick in the rout of Porto in the Champions League last 16 last week.
West Ham, meanwhile, have also seen one of their strikers resurrected with Marko Arnautovic on a rich vein of form after a difficult start to life at the East London club.
The Hammers need a victory in this one, but may struggle at the back with Winston Reid questionable to play tomorrow with a throat infection and Arthur Masuaku handed a punitive six-game suspension for spitting.
Here’s what our writers think will happen at Anfield this weekend:
Christy Malyan
Liverpool all day for me. Yes the Reds have a knack of losing focus in these kinds of games, but West Ham are still sticking a few square pegs in rounds holes and the honeymoon period under David Moyes has come to an end.
That’s not to say the Hammers are in a rut – they won last time out – but I don’t see quite the same level of determination as when they beat Chelsea, for example, earlier in the season. Likewise, Liverpool’s attack is firing on all cylinders at the moment.
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Chris McMullan
Liverpool are on fire, but there’s always a high chance they get snuffed out before they get going. West Ham, under David Moyes, are adept at frustrating the big boys. Given Liverpool’s propensity to go from the ultimate high – winning 5-0 in the Champions League – to a frustrating low, I think the Hammers will nick a point. Watch out for a Pablo Zabaleta-inspired feat of defensive heroism.
Charlie Coe
Liverpool win. West Ham will struggle defensively in this one, especially if Liverpool’s on-fire forwards find a way to get in behind the Hammers’ back three.
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The Reds have almost as much to play for as West Ham, with an automatic Champions League spot still up for grabs, and have more firepower to get it done.
According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Sporting Lisbon attacker Rafael Leao.
What’s the word, then?
The Sunday Mirror says that the highly-rated 18-year-old is attracting interest from all of the Premier League big guns, with the Red Devils’ arch-rivals Manchester City willing to splash the cash to bring the teenager to England.
The Sunday Mirror says that Sporting have so far rejected all enquiries for the striker, who has only played four first-team matches for the Portuguese giants.
The report adds that scouts have flocked to watch Leao in action after hearing that he could be one of the brightest young talents in European football.
How has Leao done this season?
The Portugal U21 international has scored six goals in 11 appearances for the club in the UEFA U19 Cup and seven in 12 for Sporting’s B team in his career, and that form has seen make five outings for the first team.
The speedy 18-year-old has scored two goals for them, including his side’s goal in their 2-1 defeat on Friday night which the Sunday Mirror reports was watched by scouts of all of the top six clubs in the Premier League.
Would he be a good signing for United?
He certainly would be.
The 18-year-old looks to have a bright future ahead of him and is already making an impact for Sporting’s first team, and the Red Devils should be picking up players like Leao who are still young with plenty of potential.
Given they signed Cristiano Ronaldo from the Portuguese club previously and have a good relationship with them, they may well be in pole position to bring the teenager to England.
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Mourinho would certainly be pulling off a big masterstroke if he brings the talented youngster to Old Trafford this summer, and the 6ft 2in centre-forward could provide some much-needed competition for Romelu Lukaku up top.
Leeds United will look to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 defeat against Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road in midweek, and keep their faint play-off hopes alive, when they face strugglers Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
The Yorkshire outfit knew they could close the gap to the top six to just six points if they could beat Wolves on Wednesday night, but instead they suffered a comprehensive defeat against the runaway leaders with a number of players putting in below-par performances.
The loss left the Whites nine points adrift of the play-offs with just 10 league games remaining, but considering they have suffered successive 3-0 reverses and have only won one of their last 12 Championship matches, they need a big upturn in form to save their season.
Paul Heckingbottom has only taken five points from a possible 18 since he succeeded Thomas Christiansen last month, and he will also be desperate to pick up some wins before the pressure begins to increase on him from the passionate Leeds supporters.
Meanwhile, the Royals lie just five points above the relegation zone having reached the play-off final last season, and while they should be fighting for their lives Heckingbottom will certainly take some solace from the fact that they have only won three of their 18 matches at the Madejski this term.
The 40-year-old boss made three changes from the side that was beaten 3-0 by Middlesbrough for the game against Wolves last time out, and he will be considering making some more following another disappointing display.
Here is how Leeds must line up against Reading on Saturday…
Defence
Bailey Peacock-Farrell started between the sticks for Leeds against Wolves following another disappointing display by Felix Wiedwald at the Riverside Stadium, and the 21-year-old did well and made a number of good saves – even if he perhaps should have done better with the third Wolves goal.
He should start again at the Madejski Stadium in order to keep his confidence high, and with Liam Cooper absent because of injury, something the fans aren’t too disappointed about, Matthew Pennington should come in to partner Pontus Jansson at the heart of the defence.
Gaetano Berardi must again start at right-back but Heckingbottom must consider making a big change at left-back, and with Vurnon Anita and Laurens De Bock both struggling for form the Whites boss should look to give youngster Tom Davies an opportunity.
Midfield
Heckingbottom started with Adam Forshaw and Kalvin Phillips in the middle of the park against Wolves after Eunan O’Kane had a night to forget against Middlesbrough, but while January addition Forshaw did ok, Phillips was once again disappointing and was widely criticised by Leeds supporters for his display.
With neither him nor O’Kane in good form, the Whites boss should look to start Ronaldo Vieira alongside Forshaw even though he himself hasn’t been producing the good performances he has done previously this season.
He deserves an opportunity like Phillips and O’Kane have had in recent times though, and the 19-year-old could bring some much-needed energy and aggression in the middle of the park at the Madejski.
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Attack
Heckingbottom dropped Ezgjan Alioski to the substitutes’ bench and brought Hadi Sacko into the starting line-up against Wolves, but the latter looks unlikely to keep his place in the XI in Berkshire given he was replaced at half-time against the Championship leaders and with some fans not wanting him to start for them again.
Pablo Hernandez replaced the Frenchman on the left-hand side and should start there against Reading too, with Alioski returning in place of Stuart Dallas on the opposite flank and Samu Saiz starting in the centre as Leeds look to go on the attack to get the win they so desperately need.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga should keep his place up top, and he will be confident of getting on the score-sheet against a fragile Royals defence – as long as he gets the right service.
Tottenham Hotspur will look to bounce back from their disappointing midweek exit from the Champions League when they face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, and Spurs fans are disputing whether Erik Lamela or £23m January signing Lucas Moura should start.
The north London outfit suffered a 4-3 aggregate loss against Juventus at Wembley on Wednesday night, with focus now turning too trying to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition again next term.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men currenty lie in fourth, two points ahead of fifth-place Chelsea and two adrift of third-place Liverpool, and the Argentine boss may consider freshening things up for the trip to the south coast, with Lamela, who received praise from fans on his birthday last week, and Lucas two of those in contention to come into the starting XI.
Tottenham supporters have been discussing the South American duo via social media, and while one said “Lucas over Lamela every time”, another said “Lamela over Lucas, I trust Poch when he says he’s not ready yet”.
Sunderland fans are fuming with Chris Coleman after yet another home defeat.
The Black Cats are on track for a historically bad home record this season, and fell to yet another home defeat on Saturday, as Preston North End took all three points from the Stadium of Light.
Chris Coleman was brought in to rescue the season after Simon Grayson was sacked in October, but nothing has changed and the fans have just about had enough.
Preston enjoyed a comfortable afternoon despite the weather, winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Sean Maguire and Callum Robinson.
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Coleman has been criticised for not motivating the players and making necessary changes in the past, and his comments after the defeat aren’t making fans feel any better.
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“I don’t know what to tell you really,” Coleman said after the match, not exactly what you want to hear from the man tasked with saving your club from a nightmare second consecutive relegation.
Sunderland fans have been reacting to Coleman’s comments on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…
As reported by The Sun, Southampton are one of the teams credited with an interest in Bayer Leverkusen talent Kai Havertz.
What’s the story?
Whether Saints survive relegation from the English Premier League or not, they will likely have to invest in the transfer market this summer.
Teams are spending more and more in the second-tier to gain promotion and the battle for places in the top-flight is fiercer than ever.
One player they are reported to be interested in is teenager Kai Havertz.
That’s according to The Sun, who say that the St Mary’s side are battling with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool for his signature and are ‘watching him closely’.
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Who is he?
Still just 18 years of age, the central midfielder became the Bundesliga club’s youngest ever debutante last season and has gone on to make 56 appearances in all competitions.
With seven goals and 13 assists in that time, he’s certainly making a big impact for a player so young, a sign that he has what it takes to improve even further and shine in the English Premier League.
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Rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, it’d take a significant fee to bring him to Southampton but given his potential, it may be wise for the Saints to invest in his future early in his career before he truly blossoms and attracts even more attention from bigger clubs.
With sides like Arsenal and Liverpool already circling, time is ticking.
Newcastle United came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday. The result surely secured the hosts’ Premier League status for another season but also means that the Gunners are still searching for their first away point of 2018.
In mid-April, that record for a top-six team is nothing short of a scandal. It has long since been a cliche that Arsene Wenger’s side lack backbone, leadership and a willingness to stand-up and be counted.
Despite some high-profile arrivals, those issues persist and Wenger’s prolonged employment – and this does not justify in any way some of the vitriol aimed his way, which often crosses the line – is at the root of the problems.
That contrasts with Newcastle, where the manager, Rafa Benitez, is really the only aspect of the club that is right.
But, where Benitez is an organiser, someone who has a plan for every game, tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, Wenger does not.
His ‘play our game and we’ll win’ mantra does not work, for two reasons. The first is simply that Arsenal are no longer the best team in the league, capable of outclassing any opponent on any given day.
The second is that the modern Premier League, for all its faults, tends to suss systems out. The attention to scouting, planning and preparing a gameplan to counteract each side’s style has never been higher. A major aspect of Chelsea’s drop-off this season is due to scrutiny on how to deal with a three-man backline.
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On top of that, Arsenal players know that their individual performances will never be scrutinised to the same degree as their manager’s failings. They are by no means the only club where this is the case – Chelsea is another – but it removes a degree of accountability.
After an Arsenal failure, it is always Wenger who takes the stick. That, either consciously (if we’re being cynical) or unconsciously (to be generous) must affect the players’ performances.
Wenger’s removal would ramp up the scrutiny on the Gunners players and force them to prove themselves again. Otherwise, the cycle will continue, with many players underperforming but getting a relatively easy ride while the ire is directed at the manager.
Of course further summer investment is needed. Petr Cech is winding down. Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi were brought in at great expense to fill two problem positions and the jury is still out on both to say the least.
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But the issues run deeper than that. Wenger have to tailor their game to their opposition, especially on the road. Arsenal now have to shake off the psychological problem that comes with having an away day hoodoo.
Their players also have to stop hiding behind their manager and perform at a good enough level to finally get a win on the road.
Having such a poor away record is nothing short of a disgrace for Arsenal.
Nwankwo Kanu joined Arsenal from Inter Milan in the summer of 1999, and went on to make 119 Premier League appearances for the Gunners.
Widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of African football, Kanu also represented Ajax, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth during a successful career.
The forward actually only scored 37 Premier League goals during his time at Arsenal, but he is still remembered as a cult hero by the majority of the club’s supporters.
Standing at 6ft 5inches tall, Kanu was a towering figure. He captained Nigeria for 16 years between 1994 and 2010, and retired at the end of the 2011-12 campaign following a spell at Portsmouth which had seen him score 20 league goals in 141 appearances.
Kanu won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his time at Arsenal, and there is no question that he made a big impression at the London club.
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Arsenal’s official Twitter account paid tribute to the now 41-year-old on Tuesday, and the club’s supporters were on hand with their own words of praise.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Arsenal fans, who have also recently been reacting to rumours of Mikel Arteta replacing Arsene Wenger as head coach, can be seen below: