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Manchester United lost 1-0 to Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon, leaving their chances of a top four finish and Champions League football next season in serious doubt.

The Toffees are currently the fourth-most out-of-form in the Premier League over the last six matchdays, and after today’s defeat the Red Devils have become the seventh-most out-of-form, losing their eighth top-flight game of the season.

Despite having 67% possession, more shots on target and over twice as many passes completed today, United could not take anything from their clash on Merseyside, with players such as Alex Telles summing up their wastefulness on the ball, losing possession a team-high 28 times.

The Toffees took the lead in the 27th minute when Anthony Gordon’s shot deflected off Harry Maguire into the back of the net behind David de Gea. The visitors had more than hour to redeem themselves but failed to impose themselves successfully on Frank Lampard’s resilient Everton side.

One player who put in yet another nightmare performance for the Red Devils was Marcus Rashford, who failed to make a sufficient impact in the game, perhaps becoming more of a hindrance than a help.

According to SofaScore, United’s golden boy – who Gary Neville called “terrible” – was the worst-rated player on the pitch (5.9) and for good reason, losing all seven of his ground duels and 87.5% of his duels overall.

The forward also lost possession of the ball every 2.7 touches and failed to complete any of his three dribbles before he was hooked by Rangnick in the 64th minute, being replaced by Anthony Elanga.

It has been reported that the 24-year-old is intending to leave Old Trafford this summer after coming through the club’s academy and breaking through into the first team; and when you consider the season he is having, it would be no surprise if his desire to leave the club will be heard and delivered by United.

Rangnick will need to hope that the teams immediately ahead of them suffer the same fate during their fixtures this weekend to give his side a slight chance of redemption to keep their Champions League chances intact. One thing is for sure; Rashford did not do United’s top-four push too many favours today.

In other news – “Erik ten Hag has..”: Romano drops exciting Man Utd update this morning, it’s great news

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Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi made a rare start and scored a good goal in his side’s 3-0 Europa League victory against Malmo at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, and fans of Premier League rivals Liverpool were quick to react.

Despite the west London outfit’s struggles in recent weeks and the obvious talent the 18-year-old has, he has only played 74 minutes of Premier League football under Maurizio Sarri this term, compared to 311 minutes in Europe.

While he may not have had the minutes on the pitch he perhaps deserves, he has shown that he can deliver when he has an opportunity – as he did against the Swedish club with some brilliant control on the right, before he fired a low shot past the goalkeeper – scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in 14 first-team outings.

The England U19 international was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in January and should their Champions League last 16 opponents ever make a move, then it would be with a view to him competing with stars such as Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri for a spot in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI at Anfield.

Liverpool supporters took to social media to have their say on the talented teenager, and while one said “Klopp would make Hudson-Odoi a monster”, another said “Klopp could take him to the next level”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Everton will return to action today at Goodison Park hosting Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round, with newly appointed manager Frank Lampard leading his first starting eleven out in front of the home fans.

There are a number of injuries to take into consideration, with both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Fabian Delph confirmed to be out for at least a month in a club statement and in his pre-match press conference the new Toffees boss has revealed the first blow to his squad as Dominic Calvert-Lewin has picked up a knock and won’t be available for the game this afternoon.

Lampard also faces another blow to his squad, as both Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli remain cup tied, but it could be a blessing in disguise as they will be raring to go when the side take on Newcastle United in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

With that being said, this is how Football Fancast expects Lampard to line up his first team against Brentford…

We expect to see four changes from Duncan Ferguson’s line up that lost to Aston Villa in the Premier League before the winter break, with Jonjoe Kenny axed from the side in place of youngster, Nathan Patterson.

Patterson, who was hailed “amazing” by his Scotland team mate Che Adams, could make his debut in the first team for Everton today after he was spotted in Lampard’s initial training sessions this week.

This could be the perfect opportunity for the 20 year old to make his mark on the team and make a good first impression on his new manager, who is renowned for developing and giving debuts to young players with potential.

We predict that due to the two cup tied new signings being unavailable, Andre Gomes will play alongside Allan in the deeper midfield roles to cover for Doucoure’s absence through injury and Anthony Gordon will take the 10 role behind Richarlison who is pushed up front in place of an injured Calvert-Lewin.

This season’s joint top goal scorers for the Toffees so far, Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray, are expected to be on hand to link up with Richarlison to seal goals and cause problems for the Brentford defence today.

Lampard will be hoping he can give something to the fans that they can be happy about after a number of protests took place just before his arrival and progressing in the domestic competition could really help to build confidence in the players going forward ahead of important must win Premier League games, where they need to pick up points to avoid a relegation battle.

In other news: Lampard must unleash Anthony Gordon against Brentford

West Brom have been fairly active in the transfer market whenever they get the chance, bringing players in either on loan or permanent deals.

However, one deal that the Baggies had the chance to complete and will now be regretting is one for Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

According to an article from the Express & Star, the Midlands club were watching the centre-forward back in 2011 while he was on loan at Saint-Etienne from AC Milan.

The article also claimed that the Baggies had the chance to bring in the Gabon international on loan but opted against the move.Shortly after being scouted by West Brom in 2011, the striker ended up joining Saint-Etienne on a permanent deal in the 2012 January transfer deal.Since that point, the attacker has had spells at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal before making a move to Barcelona during the previous January window.According to a report from Football Espana, the former Gunners star took a significant pay cut from the £300k-per-week wages he was on at the Emirates, to complete his move to the Nou Camp, where he is reportedly now earning a weekly wage of just over £96k-per-week.Having been praised for his “phenomenal” form at the north London club by Mikel Arteta, Aubameyang has hit the ground running in Spain by racking up nine goals in 11 appearances across La Liga and the Europa League.Throughout his entire career, the 32-year-old has scored 305 goals in 592 senior and youth club appearances across all competitions in England, Italy, Germany, France and now Spain, winning several trophies in the process.One other award the striker picked up during his time in England was the Golden Boot in the 2018/19 Premier League season, having found the back of the net 22 times.Taking all of this into account, it’s seems as though the Baggies made the wrong call in not choosing to sign the Gabon star on loan when they had the chance.Had they done so and Aubameyang managed to impress, there would have been a chance that the club could have secured him on a permanent deal, thus sealing their own goalscoring superstar.However, the club will now have to live with their mistake and move on from the matter rather than reminiscing over what could have been.In other news: Sold at £13m, now worth £49.5m: WBA will have nightmares over 6ft4 “beast of a man”

West Ham United are in the hunt for Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, who claims that the Hammers are watchingÂthe defender – who is also subject to interest from Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus – ahead of a potential swoop this summer.

The 28-year-old would be available on a free transfer ahead of the expiration of his contract with the Bundesliga club at the end of the current campaign.

The East London outfit currently have just two fit senior centre-backs after first-choice Kurt Zouma sustained an ankle injury last weekend, which could rule the Frenchman out for the remainder of the campaign.

Issa Diop and Craig Dawson were excellent on Thursday night as the Irons remarkably beat Lyon 3-0 in the south of France to advance to the semi-finals of the Europa League, with the latter scoring the Hammers’ first goal.

However, both have been subject to inconsistency in claret and blue, particularly Diop – who has been criticised heavily at times this term, particularly after a poor performance in the FA Cup against National League North side Kidderminster Harriers – with Jack Rosser dubbing the Frenchman “shocking” in this fixture.

By signing Ginter, West Ham would certainly be bolstering their defence whilst it could also provide an opportunity to finally part ways with the £61k-per-week flop.

West Ham must sign Ginter

Although they’ve juggled four competitions excellently this term, particularly managing the new experience of European football, the east London side could certainly do with a bigger squad next season – especially if they are to compete in Europe once again.

However, the Irons’ defence has been a cause for concern at points this term, with Moyes’ side ranking joint 10th in the Premier League for clean sheets with seven in 32 matches, despite being sat in sixth place.

By landing Ginter, the Hammers would be adding quality as well as experience to their backline, something that will be vital if they are to continue progressing into a regular competitor in continental competition.

The Germany international is still a regular fixture in his country’s squads, having been part of the World Cup-winning side in 2014 whilst racking up 46 caps.

In terms of the current campaign, the 28-year-old has also been a regular for Gladbach, missing just three Bundesliga matches all season.

However, in general, it’s been a disappointing campaign for the North-Rhine outfit – who currently sit 11th in the German top flight with European football looking extremely unlikely next term.

The £21.6m-rated centre-back currently averages a whopping 80.2 touches per league game, whilst completing 84% of his passes and making 1.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and three clearances per game.

To put that into context, Diop’s league numbers are considerably worse in some areas. The 25-year-oldÂmakes almost half the amount of touches at 40.5, whilst making 0.5 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and 3.1 interceptions per fixture.

In fairness, the Frenchman’s passing is slightly better at 85%, but he also makes just 28.3 accurate passes a match compared to Ginter’s 56.2.

Although, something which could be a cause for concern is that the 28-year-old has, aside from Gladbach, only played for Borussia Dortmund and SC Freiburg – perhaps suggesting it would take him a while to adapt to the Premier League.

However, the centre-back has established himself as a quality defender in the German top-flight, with Germany legend Lothar Mätthaus even comparing Ginter to Sergio Ramos.

“Ginter has become a leader at the back, in a similar way to Ramos at Real,” Matthaus said to Sky Germany. “He doesn’t just give instructions to his teammates, but leads them as well. That’s what Ginter is doing really well at the moment. He reminds me of Ramos.”

There’s clear evidence that the German defender would be a quality addition to West Ham’s backline. Moreover, to secure the 28-year-old on a free transfer would be an excellent bargain with the deal being low risk.

AND in other news: Forget Rice: WHU’s £52k-p/w “set piece savant†with 67% duels won was “superb†vs Lyon

Liverpool are plotting a summer move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, and he could make the perfect partner for Fabinho.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Dean Jones (via GIVEMESPORT) Liverpool are ‘going to be interested’ in Rice when the transfer window opens this summer.

He said: “Of course, they’re going to be interested in Declan Rice because if Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have had that player on their radar, then you kind of at least have got to consider whether you’re going to need him.”

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They are among a number of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Englishman to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The report says that Rice has recently turned down a contract offer at the London Stadium and would be open to a move. However, his contract doesn’t expire for another two years, and the Hammers are said to have the option to extend that by a further year, so he would fetch a high price. The Daily Mail have reported that the club would be asking for a British record £150m fee for him.

Imagine him and Fabinho

Although Liverpool supporters shouldn’t get too excited as they will face stiff competition for his signature, he would be the perfect signing for them and would partner Fabinho extremely well.

Earlier this month it was reported by Football Insider that Jurgen Klopp has his sights set on signing a ‘world-class’ midfielder, and that Rice was on the list of options. With Jones now confirming this, he may be the Reds’ priority, especially when you consider that he’s been described as “world-class” already by reporter Toby Cudworth and many others.

He has been key for West Ham in the league this season appearing 32 times with one goal and four assists from defensive midfield. He also often captains the side when Mark Noble isn’t playing, so has great leadership qualities as well.

The England international ranks in the top 3% amongst Premier League midfielders this season when it comes to his pass completion percentage and the top 2% for interceptions.

Liverpool already have two incredible midfielders in Thiago and Fabinho, if they added a third the team would be complete with a stellar player in every position.

Klopp is famous for the constant pressure he likes his teams to put on their opponent, and Rice would fit perfectly into that. His percentage when it comes to successful pressing this season is 33% which is almost identical to Fabinho’s 32%.

The fact he came through the youth setup at Chelsea may well have an impact on which club he ends up moving to, but the chance to win with Liverpool and play under Klopp must be an attractive option.

IN other news: Sky Sports: Liverpool will need mega £55m to sign “unstoppable” gem, he’s Salah 2.0…

Newcastle United continued their fine form in 2022 as they beat Leicester 2-1 at St. James’ Park in the Premier League last Sunday.

The Magpies are now 12 points clear of the relegation zone and have only lost three of their last 14 matches in the division.

They have flown clear of the bottom three and look set for another year in the top flight, which means that Eddie Howe can begin to think about what he wants to do with his squad next term.

This includes potentially bringing some of the club’s talented academy players up through the ranks and one player who is a prime candidate to make the breakthrough is Elliot Anderson.

David Ginola 2.0

In Anderson, Howe can find his own Ginola for the Toon as he also has ability to produce magic on the pitch.

ITV claimed that the former Spurs man had a “magical touch” on the pitch and he displayed that whilst at St. James’ Park. The French attacker played 76 games for the club and provided seven goals and 16 assists on Tyneside.

Ginola was superb in the final third and Anderson has the potential to come through and have a similar level of impact at the top end of the pitch. He has already been dubbed the “Geordie Maradona” and impressed the coaching staff on Tyneside.

Magpies assistant manager Jason Tindall heaped praise on him earlier this year, saying: “He’s certainly a bright talent from what we’ve seen on the training ground. He’s got very good potential.“We’re very fortunate here, at this football club, to have some very, very good attacking players. There’s a lot of competition in the attacking areas.“So far, what we’ve seen with Elliot, is that he’s shown really good signs for the future.”

He joined Bristol Rovers on loan in January and he has been a revelation for the League Two outfit.

In 18 games, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.07 and been directly involved in nine goals with six strikes and three assists from midfield – including three goals in his last three games. Anderson has created six ‘big chances’ and provided 1.5 key passes per game as he has been able to showcase his creative talent.

Whilst these statistics have been racked up in the Football League, his form shows that he has the potential to play at a higher level as he is producing excellent performances at the age of 19.

He has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and Howe has the chance to work with him on the training pitch to turn him into his own magical genius in midfield – a Ginola 2.0.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Wilson: NUFC can seal dream pairing with “unplayable” £25m “monster”…

A club from the Premier League are reportedly now in talks to sign Rory Wilson from Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Contract rejected

It has been reported that Wilson has rejected a lucrative contract offer at Ibrox, despite meeting with Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst for talks about his future in the first-team at Ibrox.

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He has been linked with a move to Aston Villa to play under former Teddy Bears manager Steven Gerrard, but now another English top-flight team has emerged into the frame for his signature.

The Latest: Brighton talks

As per Football Insider, Brighton and Hove Albion are now ‘in talks’ over signing Wilson, and have made their move ahead of other sides in the Premier League.

The striker has made it clear that he would like to leave the Light Blues, and a source from the Seagulls has revealed that they are ‘pushing hard’ for his signature.

Wilson is out of contract in the summer, and a deal to take him to the Amex Stadium would only cost in the region of £300,000 in development costs.

The news outlet describes the prospect of losing him as a ‘major blow’, given that he is set to suffer the follow a similar path to now fully fledged Scotland international Billy Gilmour.

The Verdict: Shame

It would certainly be a shame if the Gers were to lose Wilson, but it looks like his fate is already sealed.

Unfortunately the call from the English top flight is one that is very hard to turn down, and the 16-year-old now looks destined to sign for Brighton.

Nonetheless, RFC will now be looking to hold on to some of their other promising youngsters, and not let lightning strike twice.

In other news, find out who Rangers are now fighting Manchester City to sign here!

While Leeds United may not have had much representation in Gareth Southgate’s senior England squad for the recent international break, one academy starlet did leave a big impression while on duty for the Three Lions: Sam Greenwood.

The 20-year-old opened his account for the U20s on Tuesday night, kicking off the scoring in a 3-1 victory over Germany with a very well executed-finish.

Greenwood of course was thrown straight into the deep end by Jesse Marsch just prior to the international break, having to come on to replace an injured Patrick Bamford mid-way through the first-half.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Yorkshire Evening Post, Graham Smyth gave him an impressive seven, saying: “Worked hard. Struggled to make an impact at times against vastly experienced defenders but did enough.”

With The Athletic revealing that Bamford is set to be out for a minimum of six weeks and faces a race against time to be fit for Leeds’ remaining Premier League games this season, the onus will be on the likes of Greenwood to somehow fill those massive shoes.

While Joe Gelhardt represents the more senior option out of the two, even despite ‘Joffy’ himself being a year younger at 19, Greenwood could provide that X-factor that opposition teams may not be aware about.

In his debut season campaign at Elland Road last season, Greenwood bagged 12 goals in just 18 games, playing in a number of different roles, including up front, behind the striker and further back as a central midfielder.

And, he’s got a big fan in former Leeds ace Noel Whelan, who said: “(He’s) another player who possesses an immense amount of ability. To have a weapon like that in your side is great. You can see the ability he has but the free-kicks are about the hard work he puts in on the training ground and for that he deserves to be praised.”

The Whites have crucially given themselves a bit of breathing space to the sides below them in the Premier League table thanks to a couple of crucial victories over the likes of Wolves and Norwich, so the pressure on a young striker like Greenwood to fire on all cylinders right away has lessened considerably.

That weight being lifted off his shoulders a touch could spark the former Arsenal starlet into life, and get Elland Road rocking with a couple of lively performances.

AND in other news – “We’re told…”: Graham Smyth drops big Leeds United update which will delight supporters

Dermot Desmond’s self-sustaining ownership model at Celtic is a perfect example for other clubs to use, according to financial expert Dr. Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Desmond’s successful era

The Irishman is the majority shareholder at Parkhead, fulfilling a lifelong dream by owning the club he has supported since childhood.

During Desmond’s tenure, Celtic have racked up Scottish Premiership titles galore, among numerous other domestic trophies, and another league crown looks to be coming their way this season.

The 71-year-old has run the club in shrewd fashion too, ensuring they are in a healthy financial situation and not getting themselves into worrying amounts of debt.

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The Latest: Expert hails Celtic owner

Speaking to Football Insider, Plumley praised Desmond’s model at Celtic, saying other clubs should take a leaf out of his book:

“It’s always a plus if you can stand on your own two feet. They are set up so they can manage themselves in their own right. We see it too often where a club is solely dependent on one owner.

“If the owner is in trouble, the club’s in trouble. It’s very different at Celtic. You have to class that as a benefit that they aren’t too worried about the owner’s finances.

“This is a blueprint for all clubs. Make them more self-reliant so when the owner does take a hit, they aren’t collateral damage.”

The Verdict: Credit where it’s due

Desmond deserves undoubted credit for the manner in which he has kept Celtic afloat, running the Hoops far more intelligently than some of the more reckless owners elsewhere.

Liverpool owners FSG are a good comparison to use in some ways, with their supporters not always enamoured by a lack of mega-money transfers but the Reds in a strong financial position compared to some of their rivals.

Supporters will always be critical of Desmond – it is the nature of a football fan to never be happy – but he may only be fully appreciated when he eventually sells up.

In other news, Frank McAvennie is in awe of one Celtic player’s development. Find out who it is here.