Everton fans have been on social media debating whether Jordan Pickford is good enough to be the club’s long-term number one goalkeeper.
And it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions on the subject.
Pickford has made 79 appearances for Everton since a 2017 move from Sunderland.
The 25-year-old, who is very much England’s number one, has conceded 42 times in the Premier League this term, keeping just nine clean sheets in 31 appearances.
The Everton fans have been debating whether the Englishman is quite good enough as there have been some dodgy displays from the stopper this term, including recently against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Whilst a number feel that Pickford will only get better in the coming seasons, other believe that he will never be good enough to be the long-term first-choice stopper.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Everton supporters can be viewed below:
Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a legends game that took place at Anfield on Saturday, and they’re full of praise for Istanbul hero Jerzy Dudek.
Dudek gave six years of his career to Liverpool, but there’s only game that fans remember the 60-cap shot-stopper for.
His double save in extra-time of the 2005 Champions League final is perhaps the only thing more memorable than his crazy legs in the penalty shoot-out, and it’s no surprise he was drafted in for Saturday’s legends match.
The Reds took on a team comprised of AC Milan legends, winning 3-2 courtesy of a late winner from Steven Gerrard… sound familiar?
Robbie Fowler and Djibril Cisse had given the Liverpool legends a 2-0 lead but goals from Andrea Pirlo and Giuseppe Pancaro levelled things up.
Gerrard’s late winner would perhaps be the talk of the town if not for something Dudek did earlier in the match.
The 46 year-old forced the other 21 players on the pitch to wait for a moment while he collected a ball from behind the goal, stopping to play catch with members of the crowd.
You can see the wonderful gesture from Dudek here, and check out some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Manchester City’s Phil Foden is a legend in the making after turning down reports to move to Germany.
Phil Foden has committed himself to the grind of trying to break into one of the most star-studded line-ups of the modern era, despite receiving offers from elsewhere.
The Daily Mail understand that the Englishman has drawn interest from a number of German clubs, including Champions League candidates Red Bull Leipzig, who have previously housed Everton starlet Ademola Lookman, intending to take him on a season-long loan move.
Jadon Sancho has singlehandedly set the bar for young players moving abroad. Indeed having seen the current Dortmund star and the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi both making their England debuts this season, Foden must surely be wondering why he has been given so few opportunities to shine, especially when he has performed so well in the past.
Pep Guardiola has apparently drawn criticism for providing too few chances to the 18-year-old, despite claiming a piecemeal approach is necessary for managing the player.
His admission from the Manchester City set up is yet to affect his future plans at the Etihad, and the youth international is said to already be planning for an ambitious breakthrough during the 2019-20 campaign, with club sources claiming he will be adopting extra responsibility from the closely managed David Silva (Daily Mail).
‘It’s important he knows he is able to play with us and he knows we can trust him,’ Guardiola said. ‘Every season he will be stronger and stronger. He’s an incredible talent but he still has a lot of things to improve.’
The City prodigy, who is a lifelong supporter of the club, and values living close at home, is said to have no intention of moving anytime soon – and this news should excite fans no end.
Very few prospects have made it from the academy into the senior team, the last significant one being Micah Richards over a decade ago, and fans are surely desperate to attach themselves to another ‘one of their own’.
Manchester City fans, how important is Phil Foden to your club and what does he represent to you? Let us know in the comments below…
Derby County are currently leading the race for Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie according to Football Insider. However, Sheffield United are also showing interest.
What’s the word?
Shinnie is out of contract at Aberdeen in the summer and a host of clubs in Scotland and England are chasing the midfielder, says Football Insider.
But last weekend it was reported that the Scot would choose between Sheffield United and Bristol City as his next club.
Both teams have made offers for the player but it’s now their Championship rivals Derby who are in pole position to sign him.
Shinnie has caught the eye with his performances in the SPL and made his Scotland debut last year.
Perfect ingredients for Wilder
Scottish football may not be at its peak but Shinnie would be a shrewd signing for Sheffield United if they were to take their interest forward.
He’s a typical Chris Wilder player and would fit the mould at the club perfectly. He is currently captain of Aberdeen and would, therefore, bring leadership qualities to a Blades squad which already includes the authoritative Billy Sharp.
Wilder is a manager who knows how to drive 100% out his players and in Shinnie he’d have no trouble in instilling this, such is the 27-year-old’s character.
The Yorkshire club’s system involves some players having to bolster versatility and this is another key ingredient Shinnie can add to the squad.
Primarily a midfielder, he can also play at left-back, an area of the squad that could do with improving with Enda Stevens taking the brunt of the responsibility at left wing-back.
Tottenham Hotspur fans have performed something of a 180-degree turn and lavished praise on goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after a game-changing performance against Manchester City in the Champions League.
The France international – who Transfermarkt value at £27milion – made a vital penalty save in the opening 15 minutes of the encounter, denying Sergio Aguero from 12 yards.
The save came about after a highly controversial refereeing decision; Bjorn Kuipers pointed to the spot after the ball hit Danny Rose’s arm as he attempted to make a sliding block.
Spurs, of course, will take an advantage into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium after Son Heung-Min scored in the second-half.
And fans have been quick to talk up Lloris’ contribution after his third penalty save in a row, after also denying Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette.
Lloris, of course, has made a number of mistakes this season, most recently in the 2-1 loss to Liverpool, as he palmed a simple Mohamed Salah header against Toby Alderweireld to concede an own goal, and made two errors in the Champions League group stages as well.
He was sent off against PSV Eindhoven after a terrible challenge on Hirving Lozano and also rushed out of his goal to allow Philippe Coutinho to score for Barcelona at Wembley.
But fans appear to have changed their minds with the team seemingly in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League. Take a look at the best of the reaction below!
Crystal Palace host Manchester City this weekend in a clash that doesn’t look too promising for Roy Hodgson’s side – their visitors are strolling through games at the moment without getting out of second gear, while the Eagles’ woeful home record this campaign speaks for itself.
Despite the shocking result at the Etihad Stadium in December, this game looks more or less like a write-off for Palace, but it could give Hodgson the epiphany he needs to turn Palace’s Selhurst Park fortunes around.
On the chalkboard
Pep Guardiola’s side are masters of ball retention and pinning their opponents’ backs to the wall for the full 90 minutes and are confident enough to do it wherever they go, SE25 included.
Palace will likely be forced to sit back and soak up pressure, denying all the intricate runs and passes made by their opposition for much of the game, despite it being on their own ground.
It will most likely be damage limitation for the Eagles, who will look to keep the score down and get some joy on the counter – sound familiar? It’s what they’ve been doing on the road all season and it has yielded results.
Hodgson’s epiphany
No matter how much Hodgson tries to turn Palace into an attractive footballing side, the Eagles are a counter-attacking outfit – they were much better under Sam Allardyce and even Alan Pardew at times when they played direct.
There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…
At home, Palace tend to be the aggressors and they always get caught out on the counter – the roles will be reversed on Sunday though, and the Eagles can turn it into an away game.
They have the pace – and Wilfried Zaha – to cause the Premier League champions all sorts of problems on the counter and, should they get anything close to their Boxing Day result, then Hodgson might finally realise where his side’s true quality lies.
The Croydon outfit desperately need to improve their home form if they are to avoid another relegation battle next year, and this could be the game after which the turnaround begins.
Liverpool would be interested in signing Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves according to the club’s assistant manager, Pep Lijnders, per O Jogo.
The Portugal international has been in excellent form for the club this season, scoring four goals and laying on three assists in all competitions prior to this weekend as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have consistently flirted with the top-seven.
And Lijnders told the Portuguese outlet: “I know him very well, his ambition, his passion for the game, his professionalism. I know what he gives to the team and this type of player always interests us. I recognised him when I saw him at Wolves. I saw technique, professionalism. I saw the 2013-14 player I knew.”
With the transfer window approaching, Football FanCast considers the potential consequences of Neves moving to Anfield this summer. Take a look below!
Henderson phased out
Jordan Henderson is a limited but experienced and passionate midfielder.
The England international had played 35 games in all competitions this season before the weekend but manager Jurgen Klopp already appears to be preparing for the day that the 28-year-old leaves the club.
Prior to Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, he had completed 90 minutes in the Premier League just ten times.
Signing Neves would only see those opportunities limited further.
It is unlikely that Fabinho or Naby Keita would be dropped for Neves, and would likely play alongside him in a 4-3-3.
The obvious casualty, then, is Henderson.
Another transfer record broken
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Pep Guardiola can’t afford Neves.
That’s Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, the club with all the money in the world.
Wolves have reportedly placed an asking price of £110million on the jewel in their current crown.
Guardiola replied thus, per the London Evening Standard: “A month ago, I started reading – ‘Ruben Neves, £100m. That is not going to happen, we are not going to pay £100m for a holding midfielder.”
Liverpool might.
They broke the world transfer record for a goalkeeper when they signed Alisson Becker and did the same with a defender when they secured Virgil van Dijk from Southampton. The highest current transfer fee for a midfielder is Paul Pogba – who cost Manchester United £89m. The top three transfers of all time – Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to PSG and Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus – all involved attackers.
Liverpool could well break the record for a midfielder if they convince Neves to move to Anfield.
A lack of dynamism
Ruben Neves in action for Wolves in the FA Cup semi-final.
Despite the potentially extortionate price, would Neves really change all that much?
Liverpool’s current problem in midfield is a lack of attacking thrust. Fabinho, Keita and Henderson, plus Georginio Wijnaldum, are all exceptional water-carriers and travel with the ball well. But they all lack the ability to score or create regularly.
Fabinho, Keita and Henderson had all scored once this term, Wijnaldum twice, before the weekend.
Neves had scored just four goals heading into this gameweek and, while he has a penchant for the spectacular, he would not solve the issue.
He would surely add something, of course he would, but spending £100m on a player who will not truly take the team to the next level is not the kind of strategy Klopp should be employing this summer.
Leicester City are finishing the season in decent form as Brendan Rodgers begins to leave his mark on the club.
The former Liverpool and Celtic manager has seemingly got the Foxes playing somewhere near the free flowing and high pressing best, and the likes of Jamie Vardy seem to be getting back to their best.
Another player who has been superb for Leicester since Rodgers arrived has been on-loan midfielder Youri Tielemans, who has shown his class already at the King Power with some fine midfield performances.
And with the summer set to be a big one for the club in terms of who they bring in, the news of Rodgers wanting to keep hold of Tielemans and secure a £40m deal for the Belgian should be music to the fans ears.
Tielemans has been a class above in his performances so far for Leicester, and it’s easy to see why he is regarded so highly in Europe as one of the best young midfielders in the game.
There is a growing sense too that Monaco could be willing to do business on a permanent basis to move Tielemans on, and Leicester will be getting quite the player if they can secure his permanent signing.
The 21-year-old has already shown he is capable at the highest of levels, and it would be little surprise to see other big clubs come knocking at the door.
However, Leicester appear to have made him feel welcome, and with a guaranteed place in the starting XI under Rodgers, the Belgian starlet might well fancy becoming the main man at the King Power before eventually moving on to a top four club.
Either way, if Leicester can sign Tielemans, then they’ll have a superb talent on their hands for years to come.
Last weekend West Ham were made to rue a costly error from the officials. With the club staring at an impressive win over Leicester, they had a goal criminally ruled out for offside, before the Foxes then equalised minutes later to seal a 2-2 draw.
It was a game which just about summed up the Hammers’ season. They’ve been on the wrong end of some horrible refereeing decisions and that was again the case on this occasion.
But a cameo from one man provided evidence of why it’s simply baffling that he’s been so out of favour under Manuel Pellegrini.
The player in question is Lucas Perez. He doesn’t create many headlines but he’s the type of player who, with game time, has the attributes to flourish in a midtable Premier League side.
Last weekend may have been all about his namesake, Ayoze Perez, but the West Ham man was also deserving of praise.
He played just 12 minutes from the bench, a position he’s become all too familiar with during his time in English football, but he was fantastic. He made clever runs in behind and was unfortunate not to score twice.
The Spaniard did find himself on the scoresheet once, tapping home from close range after being in the right place at the right time, but he was the unfortunate man at the centre of West Ham’s disallowed goal controversy.
It was an incredibly bright cameo, one which questions why he’s started just four times in the league this term. West Ham have plenty of talented strikers but with none finding consistency, perhaps he should have been the beneficiary.
Football FanCast sources revealed only last month that West Ham are planning a clear out of their strikers but Perez is someone who needs to stick around.
After all, the goals he’s scored for Deportivo La Coruna in Spain is evidence of his ability to perform in mid-table teams and that could be vital for a side like West Ham.
Before moving to Arsenal in 2016, he scored 17 goals for the La Liga outfit. He then notched eight goals and claimed six assists on loan at the same team last season.
He’s shown he’s a creative player and a hat-trick for Arsenal in the Champions League against Basel tells you all you need to know of his quality.
But perhaps it’s telling that players with European pedigree continue to underperform at West Ham. Maybe there’s a deeper rooted issue within the club.
Either way, Perez deserves more than the way he’s been treated in England and after his latest performance, Pellegrini needs to place more trust in him.
As the Irons gear up to take on Spurs, there’s a certain narrative in the air that a former Arsenal man could damage their top four hopes.
From a Gunners point of view, that may be too much to ask but they can certainly hope.
When the 5 ft 9 striker arrived in England in August 2016, Arsene Wenger told the Arsenal website; “He’s not only a goalscorer, he’s a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs.”
And from his outing against Leicester that is evident, particularly with his willing runs.
Perez has a resilient nature about him and his career path shows how hard he’s had to work to be where he is. He’s made his way through Ukrainian football with Karpaty Lviv and Dynamo Kiev before also playing for Greek Super League side POAK.
It’s an interesting career path that’s led him to England but possibly now more than ever, he deserves a run in the Premier League. West Ham have nothing to play for between now and the end of the season and they could do far worse than turning to Perez to solve their attacking issues.
A move away looks as though it beckons and at the age of 30 it’s no surprise. However, his three goals from just four starts this term suggests there’s still something to work with.
Sunderland’s automatic promotion hopes died at Fleetwood Town’s Highbury Stadium on Tuesday, and Jack Ross made a fatal error that he keeps on repeating.
The Black Cats arrived to face Joey Barton’s Fleetwood knowing only a win would keep them in the race for automatic promotion.
And while Portsmouth helped out by losing to Peterborough, Ross’ side just couldn’t hold on to the lead earned by Lee Cattermole’s first-half goal.
The midfielder headed the visitors in front after half an hour, but Paddy Madden equalised in the second half before Ashley Eastham grabbed a stoppage time winner.
Sunderland’s performance in the second half was woeful compared to their display before the interval, and it was all down to a mistake that Ross just can’t seem to eradicate.
Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….
On the chalkboard
During the Checkatrade Trophy final, with the score at 1-0, Ross introduced Lynden Gooch and Max Power for Lewis Morgan and Will Grigg.
In doing so, the Scot invited more and more pressure onto his side until eventually they caved, and Pompey went on to win the match on penalties.
At Fleetwood on Tuesday, he made an almost identical error, bringing on Kazaiah Sterling and George Honeyman for Grigg and Chris Maguire. Or in other words, he brought on two players with far inferior end product, inviting the hosts to have a go without fear of being punished on the break.
Once again, the boss put his team under the cosh with negative changes, and it was actually Honeyman who gave the ball away leading to the winning goal.
The Black Cats have drawn a frankly ridiculous 19 out of 45 league games this campaign, and just one of those was goalless. Ross has no problem getting his side in front, but the young boss has absolutely no idea what to do once that happens.
The ex-St Mirren gaffer is only 42 and has just four seasons of managerial experience under his belt, but if he doesn’t develop his game management skills, the “Ross out” calls will only get louder.
His poor tactical switches, like often moving to a 4-4-2 with one-goal leads, and uninspiring substitutions have cost the club a trophy and automatic promotion this season – will they cost him his job as well?