Leeds fans have been reacting to a report claiming Paul Heckingbottom could leave the club this week, and they’re particularly excited by the possible arrival of Claudio Ranieri.
You know it’s been a bad few months when fans are celebrating the potential departure of a manager like they’ve just scored a goal, and that’s exactly what’s happening on Twitter right now.
According to a report from the Mirror, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is considering Paul Heckingbottom’s future at the club, and could make a decision as soon as this week.
“Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is considering wielding the axe because he is unsure if Heckingbottom is the right coach to lead them next season,” said the Mirror report.
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The report continues to say the club have “already put out feelers” to a number of potential successors around Europe, and the bookmakers are only increasing the speculation, as Paddy Power suspended betting on former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri moving to Elland Road.
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Leeds fans mostly agree that the Heckingbottom simply doesn’t have the nous or experience to take the club to where they want to be, and they’re particularly excited about the possible arrival of title winner Ranieri.
Fans have been discussing the reports on Twitter, and you can find some of the best reactions down below…
Newcastle United fans face an anxious transfer deadline day as they await their club making the signings that can help them survive in the English Premier League.The Magpies have failed to make a single signing so far this month, a situation that hasn’t exactly gone down well with supporters.Can the club pull out all the stops at the last minute?One man they were reported to be tracking in the final days of the window was Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala, a player who has plenty of experience at the elite level and is rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt.However it appears he’ll be another target they fail to attract to St James’ Park with Sky Sports reporting that Everton are confident of sealing a deal for the Frenchman at some point today.That news has upset Newcastle supporters, who are growing tired of the club’s inability to get deals over the line. Some are even calling it the worst transfer window they’ve ever seen.They took to Twitter to discuss latest developments…
The narrative now reads: spent a long time at one club, won nothing. Oh how quickly we’ve managed to rewrite history.
Of course, highlighting certain weaknesses and overlooking the positives of David Moyes’ time at Everton helps with the agenda of undermining him in his current job. He never won a trophy at Goodison Park, doesn’t know how to win a trophy, so what good is he at a club like Manchester United, despite Moyes’ predecessor labelling him a natural winner?
Taking away the good that Moyes did also helps to amplify the good that Roberto Martinez has brought to Everton following Moyes’ departure. Ok, the Catalan won the FA Cup, but he consistently had Wigan flirting with relegation, only to lose that battle days after beating Manchester City at Wembley in the final. But he’s doing fairly well now, playing enterprising football; we can overlook those past failings.
The fundamental factor in this attack on Moyes is time, in that collectively the football world seems intolerant of such a concept. From first and champions last season to seventh in the league now, complete with an FA Cup third round exit and a deficit going into the League Cup second leg semi-final against Sunderland.
Moyes has shown himself – at least from the only relevant evidence we have – to be a manager who looks long term. There was a steady build about what he did at Everton. You feel, though, that he had to adapt himself to work within the financial parameters of the club. Arguably the club’s financial restrictions dictated how he would go about his managerial job, but he nevertheless took the club on an upward trajectory and kept them there.
It’s not entirely his fault that there was an obvious glass ceiling preventing him from taking that next step into the Champions League. Moyes won’t be helped by that terrible record at the home grounds of the traditional powers of the Premier League, but he made Everton a regular challengers for the top six. Couldn’t it be said they were punching above their weight, even with the defeats laid on to some of the bigger clubs when welcoming them to Goodison Park?
We’re forgetting that now, though. Importantly, we’re choosing to do so. The pressure is different now for Moyes, added to by the expectation everyone outside Manchester United has and the winning tradition cemented in the club by Ferguson.
Far from saying Moyes looks more comfortable in his current job than he was at the start of the campaign, considering recent results, he does appear to have a better grasp of what’s required. The awe of the place and subsequent careful treading isn’t as obvious.
Moyes will need to take on a new mentality, dismissing the underdog tactics used at Everton and brought to United. He isn’t a winner in tangible terms, but relatively speaking, he has brought success. Martinez is doing well at Everton now, but it would be wrong to suggest it’s all of his own doing.
Moyes has had to deal with changes being made at United, both in terms of the playing personnel and the backroom staff. We like to paint the picture that Moyes failed in the summer transfer window, when it should be labelled as negligence from the club’s hierarchy to entrust two newcomers – Moyes and Ed Woodward – with overseeing a successful transfer window.
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A better summer could have made Moyes’ life easier, but he’d still have to deal with the same problems. The problems of an ageing squad in need of a drastic overhaul, as well as those who simply aren’t pulling their weight needing to be shipped out.
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The convincing nature of Everton’s victory over Swansea was not the most surprising aspect of last weekend’s lunchtime fixture. Instead, the biggest jaw-dropping moment arrived when the audience were reminded that Victor Anichebe had never been out on loan during his seemingly extensive career. Anichebe has long been hailed as one of the most promising products of the club’s fabled academy, so why hasn’t David Moyes gifted him the freedom to learn his trade elsewhere?
Unfortunately the main reason undoubtedly surrounds the Nigerian’s woeful injury record, with knees like Ledley King’s it goes without saying that he’s spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. His lengthy spells on the sidelines are unfortunately a common and familiar theme at the club, which means Moyes is always reluctant to allow any transfers – even on loan – that will see his squad depleted further.
You may be surprised to hear that Anichebe is a current record holder with the Toffees, although you’ll be less surprised to learn it’s for the most appearances made as a substitute. He seems incapable of escaping the void that exists on the fringes of the first-team, destined to fall further down the pecking order as Moyes continues to strengthen his frontline.
A loan stint at Hull was a genuine possibility back in 2009 before Moyes pulled the plug when he realised he would be unable to bring in reinforcements. Anichebe made his frustration and disappointment very public, which further restricted his already limited number of appearances. Fast forward to the present day though and his career finally appears to be sparking into life, aided by the current injury status of Nikica Jelavić and the recent departures of both Louis Saha and Tim Cahill.
It’s remarkable to think Anichebe is still considered an ‘exciting prospect’ in the Everton side despite the fact he’s 24 years old. His performances still echo that sense of youthful exuberance, as he constantly badgers defenders and chases every loose ball. There are very rare glimpses of a player capable of emulating Didier Drogba, before that image is tainted by the naivety of a ‘boy’ who has never enjoyed a prolonged run of games in the starting XI.
His development is in stark contrast to Steven Caulker, who emerged from the shadows to announce himself as talented youngster, thanks largely to a season-long loan spell at Swansea. His quickly established himself in a team taking their first steps in the top flight, which will have undoubtedly helped him mature as both a footballer and a person. His new found confidence and experience has persuaded Andre Villas-Boas to keep him at Tottenham this season and even if he is unable to break through into the first-team, he will have plenty of suitors lined up ready to make an offer.
Perhaps there is evidence that Moyes is keen to avoid repeating such mistakes with the next batch of promising youngsters. Many fans believe that this could be the breakthrough year for Ross Barkley, who recently joined Sheffield Wednesday on a month’s loan. The England U’21 international has already scored his first goal for The Owls and should flourish playing amongst the significant crowds that grace Hillsborough every week. Watch this space as he is due to return in October.
Anichebe will hope he can continue to imitate team-mate Marouane Fellaini’s ability to impose himself in the final third of the pitch. The fact that he has spoken of his desire to remain injury-free this season highlights his eagerness to finally make an impression on the Premier league. I for one hope the club can learn from his stop-start career and finally reap the rewards of a player they’ve left lingering in the background for far too long.
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Dominic Calvert-Lewin only turned 21 in March, but the attacker made 44 appearances in all competitions for Everton during the 2017-18 campaign.
The Englishman scored eight times for the Toffees last term – four of which came in the Premier League – whilst he also registered seven assists.
They are decent numbers for a player with limited experience at Premier League level, and Everton were not exactly the most expansive and free-flowing of teams under Sam Allardyce during the 2017-18 campaign.
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Calvert-Lewin will be feeling pretty good about his performances last term, but it seems that the Everton fans are unconvinced when it comes to the former Sheffield United youngster.
Indeed, despite recognising that Calvert-Lewin has promise and ability, the bulk of the club’s supporters have doubted whether he will ever be good enough to play on a consistent basis for a team of Everton’s ilk.
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That said, the club’s new manager will surely make his own judgement.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
West Ham United remain interested in signing Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario this month, according to Sky Sports News.
What’s the word?
It has been widely suggested that Hammers manager David Moyes is keen to strengthen his midfield for the second half of the Premier League season.
The East London outfit currently reside 11th in the table, five points above relegation, but having the best squad possible will keep them on track for safety.
Sky Sports News claims that Mario initially rejected the idea of moving to West Ham, but has now become more open-minded to the possibility of a switch.
It is believed that the Italian outfit are open to sending their £40m man on loan with an option to buy.
What could have changed?
We will never be privy to that knowledge unless he shares it, but one could assume that the midfielder has realised that he will not be getting much game time in the coming months.
With the World Cup in Russia on the horizon, Mario will want to be playing as much football as possible in order to secure a place in the Portugal team.
So far this season, the midfielder has started just five Serie A matches and has come off the bench in a further nine.
Is Mario right for West Ham?
Bringing in a player that has zero Premier League experience is always a risk, particularly for a team that are trying to stave off relegation.
The Hammers have been linked to numerous midfielders in this window, but Mario has a certain pedigree.
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The 24-year-old understands how to compete at the top level, and he has the quality to do a decent job at the London Stadium.
Let’s not forget, Mario was a crucial component in the Portugal team that won the European Championships in 2016.
It has been an encouraging start to the season for Everton. 13 games in they find themselves sixth, level on points with Manchester United, and well within shooting range of a Europa League spot. In the light of last weekend’s draw with Liverpool at Goodison – a game they arguably were unlucky not to win – it is safe to say that Everton is still one of the outsiders in the race for European football. The tradition of punching slightly above their weight, and compete with teams that harbour far bigger financial credentials, is preserved by new manager Roberto Martinez. A manager who made his trade by precisely looking past economic barriers, and finding other ways to make his team competitive. This begs the question:
Is Roberto Martinez the master of making teams perform beyond their ability?
Dave Whelan seems to think so. Wigan’s notoriously overexcited chairman, and Martinez’s former employer, recently spoke of his great admiration of the Spanish manager, and of how he was surprised Manchester United didn’t grab the opportunity to benefit from his genius.
“I think he’s the best manager in the world and I was a little surprised that Man U didn’t come for him because I knew that Alex was going to retire,” Whelan told Sky Sports News.
“Alex had already told me that he was thinking of retiring and I was a bit surprised that Man United didn’t. They have still got a great lad in David Moyes, let me say that, he’s still a great manager, but Roberto now going to Everton, he will take Everton to places they can only dream about.”
Now, the impact of Whelan’s praise is somewhat muted by his consecutive claim that he sees no reason why England shouldn’t win the World Cup in Brazil next year. Where most of us see a host of frighteningly talented South American teams playing in homely conditions in addition the invisible Germans and Spaniards, Whelan sees a trophy that is there for the taking. His belief is admirable, though his judgement is questionable.
However, he does have some legitimacy to his claim; Roberto Martinez, despite last season’s relegation, did well with Wigan. In his five year tenure as the Latics manager he made escaping relegation at the last second look like a game to him. In fact, Wigan’s ability to muster their strength for a late comeback in May was so acknowledged that no one dared to write them of before Arsenal thumped them 4-1 and destroyed all hopes of survival with one game to go.
Wigan went on to beat Manchester City in the FA-Cup final, becoming the only team ever to win the cup and be relegated in the same season. Now they compliment Championship football with the Europa League. So, considering how Martinez got Wigan out in Europe, accomplishing the same with Everton should be far less daunting.
In their eight years as a premiership side, Wigan was continuously out gunned financially. Surrounded by both the big Manchester and Liverpool clubs, it is easy to understand why it is difficult to build any sort of big-club business at the DW Stadium, so Martinez needed to think alternatively on how to gather points. The answer he came up with was a simple version of emphasizing the team’s strengths and hiding its weaknesses. In 2010/11 Wigan scored twice as often as the average Premier League side on counter attacks, and almost four times as often on free-kicks.
The statistic is a result of Martinez’s ability to identify how his team can score goals. Rather than approaching the game in a conventional way, he magnifies his own advantages, and challenge the opponent the only way he can.
In essence, this pattern is very similar to the one developed by former Everton manager and current Man United boss David Moyes. Moyes could never compete financially with the teams that surrounded his Everton team on the table, but had success by finding other ways to squeeze the percentages in his own advantage. The main resemblance between the two managers is this: they appreciate that every little percentage counts, and can ultimately be the difference between success and utter failure.
A slight obstacle for Martinez, though, is paradoxically the bigger access to transfer funds. Many top half clubs – most notably Liverpool in recent years (before Rodgers) – has struggled in the Premier League after hiring managers who are not accustomed to handling big budgets. The transition from pursuing reasonably talented footballers to being expected to sign players with genuine claims of world class seems to be more challenging than you’d expect, and so far, Martinez has had more emphasis on boosting the talent that is already in the squad than signing big names.
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The results are yet to come, but Roberto Martinez has most the tools required to take Everton a step further. The long term target for the Toffees is steady European football qualification, and although the top of the premiership seems tighter than ever, Everton are where they need to be.
Mr Dave Whelan might embody the laughing stock yet again through his comments, but he is right about one thing. Everton hired the right manager.
The 34-year-old centre-back has been a fantastic servant to the club during his 17 years playing for the first-team, but he’s increasingly starting to resemble a player out of his depth and old Father Time appears to be catching up with. Of course, his knowledge of the game and willingness to learn make him an ideal candidate for a big coaching future at the club, but in terms of the impact that he can have out on the pitch, his name on the teamsheet is now met with as many groans as it is cheers and it may time for the side to move on without him.
We cannot underestimate what a good player Carragher has been for the club and during Liverpool’s run to the 2005 Champions League final, he was quite simply a colossus against the likes of Barcelona and Juventus before another exceptional display in the final against heavy favourites AC Milan. The commitment with which he plays is without peer, but that alone isn’t enough to warrant a first-team place, particuarly in light of Daniel Agger’s recent injury.
While the Dane doesn’t look like he’s going to be out for as long as first feared, with his representative Per Steffensen telling jp.dk: “There is good news. He has not torn ligaments. He has a small rupture behind the knee and it has swollen and sore but once the swelling goes down he can train again” Carragher is the next logical player in the pecking order, simply because of his experience, although Sebastian Coates’ selection against Manchester City to counter their strength from set-pieces did indicate that it’s a lot closer than previously assumed.
It’s not like Carragher has ever relied on pace and that now, shorn of it he is all of a sudden a much worse player, it’s that his body simply isn’t as quick as his mind anymore and he can’t get himself into as good starting positions like he used to. He looks more easily rattled than he was in the past, which is inevitable when you are in and out of the side like he is these days.
The only way to see whether he’s up to the mark still is to give him a concerted run in the side, but after such a poor start to the season, with the side still chasing a first league win of the campaign, can they afford to grant him this sort of opportunity? He did little to show during a nervy performance in the Europa League against Young Boys that he should be given one and it looks like he struggles with the sort of movement in and around the box that he used to cope with so well.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told reporters last week: “For me this is the hardest part of my job – he(Carragher) is the hardest part of my job, because every day of his life he comes in and he gives his all. He works himself to a standstill every day of his life. And guys like that I want to put in the team when it matters. The Europa League matters of course, but every player wants to play in the Premier League on Sunday. And that is the most difficult decision I have as the manager of Liverpool – seeing him every day give his life to the club as hard as he does and then not being able to give him a shirt in the starting 11 at the weekend. I heard these stories about him kicking the ball long up the pitch, but this is one of the best technical players we have – left foot, right foot, touch on the ball, reading of the game, tactical intelligence, he has it all. I think he can play on, there is no doubt.”
The argument is not whether he could play on, but rather should he play on; after all, why did the club fork out the best part of £7m on a player with a burgeoning reputation within the game like Coates if they had no intention of playing him when situations like the one with Agger’s injury arose?
This is far from a cry for him to retire, he’s not quite at the embarrassing levels that forced Gary Neville into the Sky Sports studios just yet, but his involvement has to be reserved for games where the side feels they can pick up a result with or without him in the side. The thought of him playing against Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea in his current state is not the most palatable and he should be regarded as fourth-choice now and for all we know, maybe he already is.
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He still has a valuable role to play at the club, teaching the next generation and passing n his experience; he’s a role model, someone to look up to, a player that has got every last inch of talent out of his body and had an exceptional career doing it, but we shouldn’t let our acknowledgement of the player he once was distort our view of the player he now unfortunately is. That may sound harsh to some, but take the emotion away and from a purely footballing perspective, he simply doesn’t have all that much to contribute anymore out on the pitch.
According to an exclusive report in The Mirror, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez is at the top of West Ham United’s four-man shortlist as they start their search for a replacement for David Moyes, but Magpies fans believe it is all part of a plan from the 58-year-old Spaniard.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss is keen to be backed by owner Mike Ashley in the transfer market this summer, in order to help the club progress following an impressive 10th-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League.
The interest from the east London outfit may well force Ashley to act and give the 5ft 9in tall chief what he wants, and that is what the St James’ Park faithful will be demanding too given Benitez has become such a huge fans’ favourite over the course of the last two years.
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Newcastle supporters, who are growing tired with links to a striker who has scored 34 goals this season, were quick to have their say on the Benitez to West Ham rumours via social media, and while one said “talks haven’t progressed enough so he’s taking action”, another said it’s “Rafa being very clever and playing Ashley through the media, in order to get what he wants”.
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Last night witnessed a Premier League first for West Ham – their first-ever comeback at the London Stadium, inspired by what had appeared an unlikely source in Andy Carroll.
The towering frontman hadn’t found a top flight goal since April, hadn’t started a Premier League game since November and endured the kind of first half that raised the inevitable question of whether the club could truly justify it’s long-standing faith in such an injury-prone striker when form while fit couldn’t always be guaranteed.
But as the Hammers looked to hit back from their one-goal deficit to West Brom in the second-half and confound the Leo Vegas odds, the other side to Andy Carroll came to life – the side that makes him an invaluable match-winner for a club like West Ham, especially during a season as turbulent as this one, and makes him one of the most unplayable forces in the Premier League.
Just before the hour mark, the 28-year-old rose above two West Brom defenders to head home an Aaron Cresswell cross from close range, and with ten minutes to go, Carroll completed his side’s – and his own personal comeback – by sliding in at the far post to tuck away Marko Arnautovic’s pass. Come the final whistle, Carrol’s influence on the match was undeniable; two goals from four shots, two chances created for team-mates, seven successful aerial duels and six touches in the opposition box.
Now one point and two places clear of the relegation zone, Carroll’s late brace could be looked back upon at a defining moment in West Ham’s season, one that transforms the campaign from one of fearing relegation to one of cautious optimism of sneaking into the top half by the end of May. But there’s one West Ham player the comeback does spell bad news for – summer signing Javier Hernandez.
Although he came on from the bench against the Baggies, finding a way to fit the former Manchester United striker, who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million, into the team has been a constant headache in east London this season.
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While there are still doubts over which system suits Hernandez best, Carroll has proved he successfully can lead the line within the confines of David Moyes’ game-plan.